Careless Whisper
by Sechskies
Summary: Rei/Aya/Yuuya. Yuuya unintentionally kisses Aya! Rei is certain that he doesn't feel anything for Aya, but why is he slowly getting jealous about his best friend's little accident with her? — Dropped.
1. Enticement

> _Konnichiwa, minna-san!! May I just say that I'm a total AyaXRei fan, and my frustration about their relationship in the animé (Rei being cold to Aya, notwithstanding the fact that he already knows how much she loves him) lead me to come up with such a story like this, so as to make me feel… happy! I really want them to end up with each other, but the animé kind of hints that Rei'd probably end up with Ran! Err… someone please correct me if my vibes are wrong!! Well, anyways, this is my very 1st attempt to write a fanfic (and an AyaXRei one, to boot!!), so please bear with me. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!! _
> 
> **_Disclaimer:_**_ Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran is a certified property of **©2001 MIHONA FUJII·SHUEI-SHA·TV **_**_TOKYO_****_·GALS! PROJECT_**_… there! I've said it, so don't sue me, okay?_
> 
> **Careless Whisper**
> 
> **By: Sechskies**
> 
> **Chapter 01: Enticement**
> 
> **----------**
> 
> ****
> 
> _"Otohata-kun… atashi…"_
> 
> _"Gomen na, but I don't deserve you…"_
> 
> _"Ha, demo---"_
> 
> _"Ja…"_
> 
> **---------- **
> 
> Hoshino Aya woke up only to find herself tucked under the warm sheets of her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling suspended above her. The warm beam of the morning sunshine had already crept in her dimly-lit room, and as she slowly sat up, she put a tired hand on her creased forehead and sighed wearily.
> 
> "It's that dream again…" she whispered.
> 
> Parting her eyelids, her hazel-brown eyes looked at the blue-bordered picture frame on the table just beside her bed, a sad expression slowly coming across her beautiful face. She then extended her arm to pick it up, and as she stared at the picture it contained, her eyes began to water.
> 
> It had been already almost a year since 'that' incident happened. It was all too painful to remember, but would anyone blame her if she had never forgotten about it? After all, it was her very first time to fall in love with someone, yet she got turned down with no apparent reason at all, and now she couldn't help but to weep incessantly for her loss.
> 
> "Otohata-kun, doushite?" Aya's voice began to quiver, her shoulders trembling. "Doushite…?"
> 
> Up until now, she still could do nothing but to think--- think about all the possible answers why Otohata Rei rejected her like that. Was it because she was too timid and doubtful? That she didn't dress as skimpy and as hip as her fellow Super Gals? What?
> 
> True, he was kind enough to date her for several times during their first year in high school, but did he only do that because he felt pity for her and wanted to give her a chance to go out with the 1st placer of "The High School Grand-Prix for the Most Handsome Student"? Surely, she was a bit grateful for he tolerated her like that, and she was sure that any fan of his would be really jumping with joy by now if ever they would be given a chance like what she had. But unlike his groupies, Aya's feelings for him were pure. She didn't like him because of his reputation, but because of who he really was, and Rei seemed to have not ever noticed that.
> 
> Maybe for the fact that he was just too insensitive and cold that he couldn't feel such sincerity in her feelings for him… then again, maybe not. Rei was the type that didn't like showing his feelings off, and due to that, no one ever knew what he was quite thinking. Heck, she didn't even know the first thing about his real background, so why was she even contemplating about his way of thinking anyway?
> 
> Wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hands, Aya took a deep breath and exhaled silently, finally dismissing her reflection. Things like that were better off forgotten. Besides, it already happened a year ago, so why was she still worrying about it? She was just being overly emotional, and she guessed that Rei and the others must have overlooked that occurrence by now.
> 
> "_Be happy. That's the ultimate rule of being a Super Gal,_"
> 
> Kotobuki Ran's voice suddenly reached Aya's mind, making her blink.
> 
> "_There is a much better use of your time than fretting about such useless matters,_"
> 
> With this, a small smile hovered on the edge of Aya's lips.
> 
> She knew that what her friend consistently tell her was true. Though she loved Rei with all her heart, she shouldn't let her world revolve around a sole person, right? She had been crying over him for almost a year now, and it was already enough for her. She should already stop torturing herself and simply move on. That would be the most appropriate thing to do for her, and as these notions were finally able to squeeze through her mind, a serene twinkle glinted in Aya's copper depths as the bothersome sensation she was feeling eventually subsided.
> 
> "Arigatou… Ran…"
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> "A-Achooo!!!"
> 
> "Ran-san, daijoubu?" Asuo Yuuya asked, looking worriedly at the copper blonde lady standing beside him.
> 
> "Heiki! Heiki!!" Ran's usual cheerful voice answered him after regaining composure from her sudden sneeze, her confident grin making the 2nd placer of the Grand-Prix blush furiously.
> 
> Yamazaki Miyuu, who was next to Yuuya, seemed to have taken notice of this uncanny behavior of the young man. Evidently, Asuo Yuuya still had a crush on her friend after all those times, and as she watched two youngsters near her talked continuously about the beach resort that they were presently going to for their weekend vacation, she couldn't help but feel a little envious at their seemingly 'intimate' situation.
> 
> It was just too bad that her own boyfriend wouldn't be able to join them with their gimmick this time…
> 
> "Yamato…" Miyuu absent-mindedly sighed. Her daydreaming, however, was immediately cut off when a familiar voice suddenly called to her.
> 
> The short-haired girl then came back to herself with a jerk, and only then did she find herself staring back at the pair of Ran's huge, coffee-brown eyes.
> 
> "R-Ran!" she stuttered.
> 
> Ran let out a mischievous smile. "Yamato again?" she sighed idly. "Miyuu, I know my wimpy brother isn't that good in making promises, and I'm really sorry for that. But you just have to learn to get used to it, you know. After all, you've been together for almost a year now and---"
> 
> "Wakatta wa yo, mou!!" Miyuu intervened as she sweat dropped, one eyebrow twitching. She obviously had enough of her friend's constant reprimanding on her about her boyfriend. "Mattaku…"
> 
> "Ran!!" Kuroi Tatsuki suddenly called to the blonde lady. He made his way excitedly towards his companions as he held six train tickets in his left hand.
> 
> "What took you so long, Tatsukichi?!" Ran boomed at her boyfriend angrily.
> 
> "G-gomen," Tatsuki managed to say, backing away as he sweat dropped. "The line was too long and I couldn't manage myself to cut in,"
> 
> "Mou!!" she pouted.
> 
> Miyuu could only giggle at the sight of the couple quarreling before her. Yuuya, on the other hand, merely frowned at their view. It was pretty much obvious that he was still feeling jealous at the two.
> 
> "Maa ii!!" Ran finally snapped, putting her hands on her thin waist. "What is done is done. At least, we were able to get our tickets, right?"
> 
> The others nodded their heads in agreement, and she smiled, her frustration disappearing. "Now all we have to do is to ride the train that will take us to our beloved beach resort. But before that, we must first wait for Aya and Otohata,"
> 
> "Where are they anyway?" Miyuu wondered. They were actually supposed to meet at the Tokyo Station at 8:00, but it was already 9:00 and they still weren't present.
> 
> "I already called Rei-san and he told me that he's on his way right now," Yuuya told them.
> 
> "Great. What about Aya then?"
> 
> "Maybe she overslept," Tatsuki assumed, putting a hand on his spiky, bleached hair.
> 
> "Masaka!" Miyuu butted in. "Aya has never been late in any of our gimmicks,"
> 
> "Maa na…"
> 
> "Mattaku mou!!" Ran suddenly cried out. Everyone knew that she wasn't a very patient lass, and she disliked waiting a lot, especially during such outings. "Now how are we going to get our way out of here if we're still not complete?! Oh, Aya, of all the times for you to be late, why now?!"
> 
> "Shinpai shi nai yo," Miyuu smiled, patting her friend's back. "I'm sure Aya will be here soon before the train leaves,"
> 
> "Besides, the train won't be leaving until 10:00. We still have a lot of time to wait," Tatsuki added.
> 
> "Sou yo! Sou yo!"
> 
> "Hey, why don't I go and fetch Aya-san? Won't that be a good idea?" Yuuya suddenly suggested, and everyone turned to him afterwards.
> 
> "You sure?" Miyuu asked.
> 
> Yuuya merely smiled and nodded his head in reply.
> 
> "Wai!!" Ran exclaimed, and impulsively reached out and hugged the blonde tightly, much to his surprise. His awfully red face was enough to send Miyuu into a fit of giggles and Tatsuki into whole-hearted guffaws.
> 
> "Promise me that you'll come back with her, okay, 'Yuuya-chan'?" she asked, releasing him.
> 
> " '_Yuuya-chan_'…" The young man could only smile stupidly, scratching his head. "H-hai!"
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Putting the last piece of her stuffed clothing in her suitcase, Aya checked what she had already packed before shutting her bag's lid and locked the tabs safely into place. She was supposed to meet with Ran and the others at the Tokyo Station at exactly 8:00, but she couldn't help it if she had quite forgotten about it, right? She had just spent almost her whole time weeping again, but now that she was feeling a bit better, she decided to pack her things up for the weekend vacation as soon as she could.
> 
> Heading for her dresser, she sat on her cushioned chair and reached for her brush to arrange her hair. She was already fully dressed and was just fixing her hair for the final touches. Soon after, she put her hairbrush aside and stood in front of the body mirror just beside her dresser, looking at her reflection.
> 
> Since they were going to a beach resort, Aya had chosen to wear a more casual attire for today's agenda. She had a pink tube under a white blazer with pedal jeans that emphasized the shapely figure of her body. On her feet were the pair of pink sandals that perfectly matched the color of her top, and she wore a complementary heart choker and earrings. She also had her hair neatly down, its silky, black length cascading on her back and shoulders as a cute hairclip was on each side of her head.
> 
> She looked absolutely perfect, not to mention very much set for their vacation at the beach, and with this, Aya then took a deep breath and got ready to leave her room.
> 
> Just then, someone knocked on her door.
> 
> "Aya?" It was her mother. "Aya, someone's here to see you,"
> 
> "E?" Aya blinked. "D-daré desu ka, Okaasan?"
> 
> "His name was something like Yuuya or Yuuhi, I can't remember," she shrugged. "Well, anyways, why don't you just go meet him in the living room and see for yourself? You wouldn't want your visitor to get bored waiting for you to finish up your morning ritual now, would you?"
> 
> After her mother left, Aya then let out a sigh, a sign of skepticism and curiosity apparent on her young face as she got out of her room, carrying her bags. "_It must be Asuo-kun. But why is he here?_"
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Yuuya sat down on the apple-green sofa of the Hoshino's living room, clasping his hands with his fingers as he patiently waited for Aya. He couldn't understand why he was feeling quite nervous about his mere visit, and as he drank the lemonade that Aya's mother gave to him, his gold-yellow eyes looked around the house.
> 
> Just then, a familiar voice called to him.
> 
> "Asuo-kun? Wh-what are you doing here?"
> 
> Realizing that the voice belonged to Aya, he then stood up and turned to her, the usual soft smile planted on his lips. "A-Aya-san," he began. "I just came by to…" Yet, his voice trailed off as he faced her, seeing her stunning appearance.
> 
> Aya soon noticed the bewildered expression on the lad's handsome face, and merely creased her eyebrows in worry. "A-Asuo-kun? Daijoubu?"
> 
> "Heh?" Yuuya blinked back, quickly removing his stare at her as he looked away, scratching his head stupidly. "A, iya, betsu ni," he murmured, looking at the ground to cover the slight blush on his cheeks.
> 
> "Hontou?"
> 
> "U-un…" he replied.
> 
> "Ja, what brings you here?"
> 
> "O-oré?" he blinked. "W-well… We couldn't go to our vacation without you so I told Ran-san and the others that I'll be going here in your place to fetch you,"
> 
> "Sou ka…" she whispered, appearing somewhat oblivious to Yuuya's weird behavior towards her. She then took the last step down the stairs and looked at the blonde, smiling. "Sa tte, ikimashou ka, Asuo-kun?"
> 
> Yuuya could only nod his head in reply, staring at the young lady before him.
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Aya looked up at the clear, blue skies suspended above her, the morning sunlight making her hazel-brown eyes shimmer gracefully. Yuuya, being a gentleman as always, had volunteered to carry her bags for her and as the two of them now walked side by side at the walkway, the people around couldn't help but notice their endearing presence.
> 
> "What's the matter with them?" Aya blinked, realizing that most of the people, especially the girls, were looking intently at them.
> 
> "Just don't mind them, Aya-san!" Yuuya let out a nervous laugh. He knew what they were exactly thinking about them. A lass walking alone with a young man like him, he was very much certain that everyone in the place were actually assuming that they were dating.
> 
> "Asuo-kun, doushita no?"
> 
> The young man then came back to himself with a jerk, and soon found himself staring at Aya's beautiful face, her eyebrows creasing with worry. She appeared quite cute for him, and with a slight twinge of scarlet visible on his young, handsome face, he could only let out a wide grin as he scratched his head stupidly.
> 
> "D-Daijoubu," he smiled, and the lass next to him then returned the gesture.
> 
> Making their way towards the Tokyo Station, the two youngsters walked side by side as they talked and exchanged different stories. Yuuya couldn't stop but share to Aya almost all of the jokes he knew, and she would always laugh at them, no matter how corny they seem, much to the lad's delight.
> 
> "E?! Hontou?" Aya giggled again after hearing another of her friend's funny stories. "Omoshiroi!"
> 
> "Sou ka?" Yuuya grinned, enjoyment and joy visible on his handsome face. He then turned to the black-haired lass, who already returned her gaze back to the road, and smiled gently. He couldn't believe that Aya could be such a nice and amusing company to be with, and he was feeling somewhat lucky for him to come across it.
> 
> "_How could Rei-san turn down such a beautiful and enjoyable girl? Man, if only he knew what he's missing…_"
> 
> "Oh, there you are!!"
> 
> Ran's loud voice suddenly interrupted the young man's reflection.
> 
> "Asuo-kun, we're here," Aya said, waving a hand to her friends as she tugged the sleeve of his mint-green t-shirt.
> 
> With this, Yuuya merely blinked and looked at her, then turned to the copper blonde girl as she approached the two of them.
> 
> "Osoi wa yo, Aya!" Ran fumed, her eyebrows creasing. "Didn't I tell you last night that we'll be meeting here at 8:00 sharp?!"
> 
> Aya could only stifle a nervous laugh, sweat dropping.
> 
> Yuuya, on the other hand, kept his gaze locked on the two lasses before him in astonishment, wondering to himself how fast they were able to get in their spot without even him noticing. Maybe he just got too absorbed with his chat with Aya and so he didn't took such realizations.
> 
> Turning to her, he then heaved out a sigh. Surely, he was really excited about their trip, and was even glad that they were finally able to get to their friends… to Ran back so that they could already get to ride the train towards their destination, yet somewhere inside him was surprisingly feeling rather depressed that his "alone time" with Aya would also be over with this. He couldn't figure out why he was deeming of such notions though…
> 
> "Yuuya-chan," Ran called, and the blonde lad immediately turned to her, smiling wildly.
> 
> "H-hai?"
> 
> "Be an angel and help Tatsukichi and Otohata carry our bags to the train, will you?" she winked. "Us, girls, will be following you behind, okay?"
> 
> Aya's hazel-brown eyes then widened in surprise after hearing the lass mention Rei's name. "_Otohata-kun is here… HE'S HERE?!_"
> 
> "Oh, sure! Anything for you, Ran-san!" Yuuya said happily, and quickly dashed off to the others.
> 
> As soon as the blonde lad left, Ran then looked back at her black-haired friend and noticed the bothered and uneasy expression on her face. "Doushita no, Aya?"
> 
> "R-Ran…" she whispered, closing her eyes as her voice began to quiver. "I-I've changed my mind. I want to go home…"
> 
> "E?! Demo doushite?!" Ran exclaimed.
> 
> "D-datté yo," Aya reasoned out, looking at her yet again. "You didn't tell me that he'll be coming with us and… I don't want to spend my vacation with him…"
> 
> The copper blonde girl then shook her head, crossing her arms close to her chest. "Otohata ka? Oh, come on, Aya! Don't let yourself ruin your vacation… OUR vacation just because you're still feeling insecure about that guy being around!"
> 
> "Demo---"
> 
> "Annoying and arrogant as he may be, Otohata is still part of our group, Aya," she told her sternly. "We've been together for nearly a year and you're still not used with his company?"
> 
> "Th-that's not what I mean, Ran…" Aya stuttered.
> 
> "We've already talked about this!" she whined. "It's already too late to back out. Come with us, Aya, please?"
> 
> The black-haired lass merely blinked as she took sight of the desperate and frantic expression on Ran's face. She covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing at her friend's quite funny appearance.
> 
> "Aya? Aya?? AYA-PPE?!"
> 
> "Fine, I'm going!" Aya told her, sweat dropping.
> 
> Ran was right to tell her that it was already too late for her to back out from their vacation. Everyone was really looking forward to it and she obviously didn't want to spoil the fun for them. Besides, she couldn't just reject Ran's plea. She almost kneeled in front of her just to hear her say yes!
> 
> "I'm going," she repeated, a small smile planted on her lips.
> 
> "Yatta!!" Ran's coffee-brown eyes glittered blissfully as she jumped up and down with joy, clapping her hands. "Arigatou, Aya! You've made me very happy!"
> 
> "Ran, Aya, we're leaving!!" Miyuu's voice suddenly interrupted from the distance.
> 
> "Wakatta!" Ran said, waving back. She then hooked her arm with Aya's and ran towards the blonde lass as their three male companions patiently waited for them at the train's entrance.
> 
> "I assure you that you'll have much more fun than the rest of us in our vacation, okay, Aya?" she remarked cheerfully, turning to the black-haired lass.
> 
> Aya merely sweat dropped, laughing nervously. "_God, why do I have to be such a good friend all the time?_"
> 
> (tsuzuku)
> 
> _February 21, 2004_
> 
> _So how do you guys like it? Hope you had fun reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Just tell me if you'd like me to continue with this fic. Don't forget to review, okay? I assure you that your comments are suggestions are very much welcomed. Sore ja! Doumo arigatou gozaimasu!! _


	2. Doubts

> _Aiyaa!! Sorry for the late update, dear readers (well… if ever there are any… sweat drops)! To be honest, I couldn't come up with the next appropriate events after my debut chappie since I was really starting to cram at school. Other than that, I was also busy creating the story outline for my own original story, which had been a major hindrance to me since I find it really hard to write a fiction that is purely based on my imagination. Thankfully though, after lots of brainstorming and daydreaming, I was finally able to get a hold of some ideas regarding it and this fanfic as well. Hehe… Saya-saya noh?! _
> 
> _This chappie, by the way, is dedicated to **Mistress of Ice1** and **LKC**, who were the 1st two peeps who reviewed my fic! Their comments made me really happy and this is my way of thanking them. Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu, futari-san!! Hope you'll continue reading and reviewing my fanfic!! :D _
> 
> **_Disclaimer:_**_ Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran is a certified property of **©2001 MIHONA FUJII·SHUEI-SHA·TV **_**_TOKYO_****_·GALS! PROJECT_**_… there! I've said it, so don't sue me, okay?_
> 
> **Careless Whisper**
> 
> **By: Sechskies**
> 
> **Chapter 02: Doubts **
> 
> Letting out another heavy sigh, Aya looked at the moving scenery from the train she was currently riding on, her copper depths shimmering with a bothered expression. It had already been nearly 15 minutes since they rode the train, but their destination still seemed out of sight, and she was somehow getting irritated and impatient with it.
> 
> "_Why is this train taking so long to get there anyway?_" she muttered to herself. "_We're only going to __Chiba__…_"
> 
> Sou… She and the group would be going to spend their weekend vacation at a certain resort in Chiba. Just like everyone, she was really looking forward to their trip, yet a sudden turn of events had caused her to doubt her own expectations; thus, making her have the great urge to back out.
> 
> "Yappari iya da…" she whispered, bowing her head. "I want to go home…"
> 
> "Aya?" Miyuu suddenly called. She was sitting just beside the black-haired lass and had somehow seemed to have taken notice of her atypical behavior. "Daijoubu?"
> 
> Blinking back to reality, Aya then turned to her friend and let out a small smile to assure her. "Ii no yo, betsu ni. I was just thinking of something, that's all,"
> 
> "Sou ka?" she asked her. "Well, at least you're feeling quite okay, ne? Tokorode, are you excited about our vacation to the beach?"
> 
> "E? M-maa ne…" the black-haired lass stammered. "Why did you ask?"
> 
> "Oh, no reason," Miyuu merely beamed a smile as she looked at Ran, who was sitting opposite the two of them. As usual, she was with her boyfriend, and the couple appeared thrilled and happy as they eagerly talked about their plan for their vacation. "I'm just happy that you're able to come with us. Our vacation won't be complete without you, Aya,"
> 
> "Hontou?"
> 
> The blonde lass nodded her head in reply. "You see, it's already bad enough to know that Yamato couldn't come, so I couldn't bear to have any more of my friends to be missing for our trip," she said softly. "Other than that, Ran is really looking ahead to have fun with us at the beach. Oh, Aya, you should have seen her face when we were still patiently waiting for you at the station,"
> 
> "E?" Aya blinked.
> 
> "Unbelievable as it may sound, Ran was actually already close to tears while we were hanging out in the Tokyo Station and Nii decided to fetch you,"
> 
> "Sonna!" she gasped, her hazel-brown eyes widening in astonishment. "Does Ran really want me to come that much?"
> 
> "Sou yo," Miyuu leaned her back casually against her seat as she looked at her black-haired friend. "Your decision of joining us means a lot to Ran and me, Aya. You're our best friend, so it's really obvious that the two of us will be really sad if you're missing for our vacation,"
> 
> As the short-haired girl fixed the sight of her tawny-brown eyes on the ceiling of the train, Aya slowly shook her head as her lips curled into another smile. She then returned her gaze back to the view outside as a trace of contentment came across the bothered shimmer in her copper depths, her beautiful face reflecting itself on and beyond the glass window of the moving train.
> 
> She couldn't deny that she was still feeling insecure and troubled by Rei's presence in their vacation, but after hearing what Miyuu had to tell her, she couldn't just let them down like that, could she? Ran and Miyuu were truly pleased because she showed up, and she thought it would just be unfair for her to simply back out because of her own selfishness and anxiety. For now, maybe she would just consider going through that weekend day-off for them. After all, Ran assured her that she'd also be having as much fun as them so…
> 
> "_What about Otohata Rei then?_" A voice in her mind suddenly spoke.
> 
> Sighing idly, a frown then made its way on Aya's face as her eyebrows creased. After a while, she shook her head yet again and exhaled deeply, hoping that it would somehow ease her from her niggling contemplations.
> 
> Her stubborn mind would just have to set aside 'that' long forgotten incident for a while. Surely, it had left her heart severely scarred, but she'd have to push off, right? God, for the sake of her friends, she really had to. She had been reflecting on this matter far too long now that it was already driving her crazy! Rei turned her down for the ultimate time, and that was that. For her own sake, she really had to overlook that event if she wanted to have at least a peaceful weekend vacation with him.
> 
> Besides, Rei was quite an insensitive guy, and she assumed that her confession to him probably didn't matter to him at all. He wasn't the type who'd let certain topics pester him anyway, especially if those issues didn't really have any importance to him or whatsoever. And with this, Aya guessed that Rei wouldn't bother interacting with her that much anymore, much to her contentment and relief. But if ever he would, maybe he wouldn't be putting any meaning of some sort to it. After all, who was she to a popular heartthrob like Otohata Rei anyway?
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Amidst the jam-packed area of the train they were riding on, Rei kept his poise composedly as he stood by the entrance. He and Yuuya were gentlemanly enough to let Tatsuki and their girl companions take their seats, even though the two of them were also itching to relax.
> 
> As his blue-gray eyes locked themselves on the moving scenery by his side, he then absentmindedly ran a hand smoothly over his black-brown hair, wondering to himself how were Ran and Yuuya able to convince him to join them with their stay in Chiba. Yet, he soon dismissed it as immaterial. He surely wasn't the type of person who'd spend his time contemplating about such silly matters anyhow. He had been told to come, so he had come, and all that he was left to do was to simply be patient and get this thing over with.
> 
> Shaking his head, he shifted his stare from the view outside to the black-haired lass situated a few meters from him. She was sitting next to her blonde friend, silently watching the outlook swiftly drift away from her hazel-brown eyes as a small, yet warm smile planted itself on her red lips. The girl seemed to be unaware that she was being watched, but he could comprehend why. She appeared to be really taken aback by the outdoor scene, and observing her fragile figure like that would always make his hard-chiseled demeanor merely soften in satisfaction.
> 
> "_Hoshino Aya… Omae wa tottemo utsukushii na mono da…_"
> 
> Just then, a familiar voice suddenly spoke to him, snapping him out of his dead thoughts. Coming back to his senses with a slight jerk, Rei then turned to his side and found himself staring back at Yuuya's gold-yellow eyes, the usual cheerful smile plastered on his face.
> 
> "Na-nanda?" his soft voice asked.
> 
> "I was just telling you how truly excited I am for this vacation," Yuuya merrily answered. He knew that his friend was in a trance earlier, but he didn't want to react on it anymore. "Well, anyways, glad you could make it, Rei-san,"
> 
> Rei merely blinked at the blonde lad's remark.
> 
> "It was a good thing that you were able to arrive before the train leaves," he continued. "All of us are actually feeling worried that you might not join us today, you know,"
> 
> "And why is that?"
> 
> Yuuya then turned to look at the black-haired lass sitting before them, and the handsome youngster immediately knew what the 2nd placer was clearly thinking.
> 
> "You wouldn't be tagging along with us if I haven't almost begged for you to come," he said, looking back at his black brown-haired friend. "Is Aya-san the reason why you---"
> 
> "Hell no!" Rei suddenly revealed, cutting him off. His voice was stern and quite louder than before, and the blonde young man knew that it would be much better to stop asking him such questions already.
> 
> "S-sou ka?" Yuuya could only stifle a nervous laugh, scratching his head stupidly.
> 
> "Why do you even bother asking such nonsense anyway, Yuuya?"
> 
> "Heh?" he paused. "W-well, nothing! I just want to know how you're doing, that's all,"
> 
> "Sou…" Rei arched an eyebrow at his friend, crossing his arms near his chest. "Well, you have a funny way of asking it,"
> 
> Seeing that seemingly mischievous grin displayed once again on the lad's young, handsome face, Yuuya could only let out another laugh, sweat dropping.
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> "We're here!! We're here!" Ran happily exclaimed, playfully skipping her way outside the Chiba Station as soon as they exited the train, her friends following her close behind. "I can't believe it! We're finally here!!"
> 
> "Mattaku… I didn't know you were really this enthusiastic to get here, Ran," Miyuu sighed idly, shaking her head.
> 
> "Well, who wouldn't?" she asked, turning to her. "This is our first time to spend a vacation somewhere other than Tokyo, Miyuu!"
> 
> "Oh, you have a point there…"
> 
> "So what do you want to do now, Ran?" Tatsuki interrupted, approaching his girlfriend.
> 
> "E? Uh…" Ran put a hand on her cheek as she rested her elbow on her other hand. "Now that you've mentioned it, Tatsukichi, I've never thought about it yet. Let me see…"
> 
> "Hey, why don't we just find a place where we can do Kara-mara? It'll be so much fun!" he suggested.
> 
> The copper-blonde girl merely shook her head, her hands placed on her slim waist this time. "No, I want to do something new,"
> 
> "Like what?"
> 
> "I don't know… I'll just think of something…" she said.
> 
> Watching their quite comical situation, Aya couldn't help but to giggle as she looked at them. This funny scenario had been typical to her ever since she first met Ran, yet she still couldn't stop herself from even smiling every time she would encounter such fusses.
> 
> "_Ran is such a carefree person,_" she told herself, her hazel-brown eyes trailing themselves to Rei, who was standing a few inches next to her. "_I wish I was just like her. Maybe then I wouldn't even have the least insecurities about him…_"
> 
> Just then, the young man suddenly turned to her, much to her surprise. She was staring at him long enough that it finally made him take notice of it.
> 
> "Doushita? Is there something on my face?" he asked coolly, trying his best not to notice the redness of her pale cheeks.
> 
> "E? A, i-iie," Aya quickly panicked, looking away. "B-betsu ni, nani mo…"
> 
> Rei didn't say anything next and merely looked at the flushed face of the black-haired lass, his hands inside his pockets. He raised an eyebrow questioningly as he kept his bewildered gaze fixed on her, yet the hearty chuckle of the blonde youngster standing on the other side of the girl's lithe figure had suddenly disrupted him, as well as the eerie silence lingering between them.
> 
> "Maa, maa, futari-tomo!" Yuuya told them, smiling. "This is not the time for the two of you, lovebirds, to be fighting, you know,"
> 
> Aya felt another heat rise up to her cheeks. "A-Asuo-kun, chigau yo! Otohata-kun and I… W-we're not fighting!"
> 
> "Baka bakashi bakari," Rei sighed, putting a hand over his silky, black-brown hair. "And you even called us 'lovebirds', yarou. Don't tell me you're trying to pick up that blasted year-old incident again,"
> 
> With this, the lass then dwelled on her actions, shock and disappointment evident on her face.
> 
> Rei felt a pang of guilt as he took a small glimpse of Aya's crestfallen appearance. He knew that his utter bluntness had offended a lot of people, but he just couldn't help it. It was merely his own way, since being an insensitive frank had been a natural attitude of his.
> 
> Heaving out a weary sigh, he could only watch as his best friend enlivened the black-haired young woman. He creased his eyebrows as he thought to himself that he should be the one who was supposed to comfort her, yet he was too cold to even bother, and he fully admitted that.
> 
> "Aya-san, daijoubu?" Yuuya asked.
> 
> Rei looked at Aya as she slowly nodded her head in reply, letting out a smile to assure the blonde lad. She appeared almost cheerful, but he knew that she was trying to hide the pain and sorrow that must still be in her heart, and he silently cursed himself for letting her feel that way.
> 
> "_Damn this tongue of mine for blabbing such odious remarks…_"
> 
> How he wished that he could just stop himself from being that way--- arrogant and conceited. But he couldn't, could he? Callously rejecting the girl's confession to him for many times was apparently arduous and excruciating enough for her fragile heart to handle, and he couldn't bear to give her any more anguish. It would just be merely plain torture for her, and he wasn't really that harsh to confer to her such things.
> 
> "Yoshi! I've already decided!"
> 
> Ran's high-pitched voice interrupted his contemplation yet again. She had been inadvertently doing that ever since his arrival, but Rei seemed to have not cared at all. After all, she really didn't have any idea that he was musing about something, so he guessed that it would be somehow tolerable.
> 
> "Minna!!" she declared, turning to the group as she extended her fist in the air. "We'll first go to the resort and put our things there before going out to have fun swimming and eat lots of foods!!"
> 
> "That's your plan?" Miyuu merely blinked, outwardly unimpressed about her best friend's 'wonderful' idea. "And to even think that we've spent almost 15 minutes trying to come up with a perfect agenda for today…"
> 
> "What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's practicality, Miyuu, if in case you don't know. Besides, I'm simply following our schedule here,"
> 
> "Hai, hai," her friend simply told her. "Whatever you say, Ran…"
> 
> "Hontou da yo! Mou!!"
> 
> Tatsuki, Aya and Yuuya simply giggled as they watched the two girls' brawl. They appeared like little children when they were in such an act, yet their lively frolic had always been a good entertainment for them.
> 
> Rei, on the other hand, didn't seem to put up with this at all. He couldn't do anything much about it though, since he knew that being childish at certain situations was already natural to Ran and Miyuu, just like his own way of being genuinely cool and composed at most times.
> 
> "So, I guess it's already settled then," Tatsuki suddenly said as he wrapped an arm around Ran's shoulder. "Iku zo, Ran!"
> 
> "Un!" she replied.
> 
> Watching Ran and Tatsuki held hands to leave the place, Yuuya's eyebrows furrowed as a vein popped out on his forehead. Seeing his beloved Ran in a sugary scene with that 'monkey-face' would always flare up his anger and envy.
> 
> "Ano zaru yarou…" he sneered through gritted teeth, his gold-yellow eyes glinting dangerously at the bleach-haired youngster. "How dare you make such skin contacts with MY Ran like that…"
> 
> "Did you say something, Asuo-kun?" Aya suddenly asked. She was already about to follow her friends leave the area when she took sight of the evident trace of irritation on the blonde lad's face, making her pause her actions for a while.
> 
> "…A, e?" Yuuya blinked back, quickly shaking his head afterwards. "A, iya, betsu ni,"
> 
> "Hontou?"
> 
> The young man merely nodded, scratching his head stupidly. That gesture had been obviously a spontaneous habit of his at present, but he didn't thoroughly care about it. There was nothing wrong gesticulating the act anyway.
> 
> "Sa tte, ikimashou ka, Asuo-kun?" Aya asked him again.
> 
> Yuuya could only keep his dazed stare locked on the lass as she merely stood before him, waiting for his answer. Her slender hands clasped themselves behind her as the warm breeze sent her long, black hair awisp, the morning sunlight emphasizing the effect of the tender smile plastered on her young, beautiful face.
> 
> "Asuo-kun…?" she called for the second time, her delicate voice yet enough to make the bemused lad come back to his senses once again.
> 
> "U-un!" he simply told her, smiling.
> 
> Rei, who was still unexpectedly with them, seemed to have taken notice of the blonde youngster's currently odd condition. He knew that his best friend was very joyful and smiling in nature, but the twinge of scarlet that was slightly visible on his face made him a bit apprehensive about the lad.
> 
> Puckering his eyebrows, the black brown-haired youth couldn't help but frown as he tried to hold back a tiny pang of combined annoyance and resentment that blazed inside him.
> 
> "Che," he gallingly remarked, walking away. "O-saki ni,"
> 
> "Otohata-kun…" Aya merely followed the moving figure of the lad with her hazel-brown eyes, subsequently bowing her head as he walked past her to hide the flushed color of her face.
> 
> Sighing heavily, she then shrugged the topic away and turned her attention to Yuuya yet again. "Asuo-kun, are you sure you're okay?" she asked.
> 
> "Oi, Aya, Yuuya-chan!!" Ran shouted from the distance, waving her hand in the air as Tatsuki, Miyuu and Rei stood beside her, patiently waiting for the two teenagers to go along with them. "Nani wo shiteru no? Hurry up or we'll leave you!!"
> 
> "Hai!!" Yuuya replied cheerfully.
> 
> Although the copper-blonde lady was still holding the hand of his boyfriend, her melodious tone of calling the 2nd placer 'Yuuya-chan' was more than enough the brighten his mood.
> 
> "_Well, at least, she noticed me…_"
> 
> Clutching Aya's bag that he was still carrying tighter to himself, he then quickly dashed towards the rest of the group, grabbing the black-haired girl's wrist as he did so.
> 
> "Iku yo, Aya-san!" he told her, the jolly smile still planted on his lips.
> 
> Aya could merely smile back at his reply. She was glad that Yuuya was back to his own self once again, and with that, she silently thanked Ran for cheering him up. Though it was only one word that restored his happy-go-lucky attitude, she knew that it was already an ample excuse for the lad to perk up, since she was also aware of Yuuya's feelings for her copper-blonde best friend.
> 
> "It's about time you got here. What were the two of you doing back there anyway?" Ran raised an eyebrow as the two youngsters now stood before her.
> 
> "W-we were just talking, Ran-san," Yuuya answered, laughing nervously.
> 
> "Sou ka?" she noted, turning her back afterwards. "Well then, let's go! The resort is waiting, you guys,"
> 
> As Ran, Tatsuki, Miyuu and Rei walked ahead of them yet again, Aya merely blinked as she felt something warm still holding her hand.
> 
> "A-ano… Asuo-kun?" she whispered.
> 
> "Nani?" he asked, staring confusedly at the lass as she saw her staring downward. Darting his sight at the same direction where she appeared to look at, his gold-yellow eyes then widened in surprise when he realized that he was still holding her hand after all those times.
> 
> "A, g-gomen!!" he exclaimed, blushing furiously as he released her. "I-I really didn't mean to, Aya-san,"
> 
> Aya then giggled. "Ii no yo, Asuo-kun. You weren't doing anything bad anyway,"
> 
> "Oi, anata-tachi!!" Ran boomed once again. Her eyebrows were already creasing in frustration at the sight of the two youngsters who were still standing inertly on their places. "When do you plan to get out of there anyway? I'm beginning to get annoyed here!"
> 
> "We'll be right there!" both of them said simultaneously.
> 
> As the rest of the group waited patiently for the two yet again, Rei felt another spark of irritation abruptly hit him in the chest. He couldn't understand why, but just the mere sight of Yuuya and Aya being together would always trigger his annoyance currently. Seeing them like that, he guessed that their blooming closeness would eventually grow into something deeper in no time, yet he seemed to dislike that idea at all.
> 
> … Was he jealous?
> 
> "_Hell no!_" he told himself, finally dismissing the thought.
> 
> As he returned his gaze back to the youngsters approaching them, however, Rei felt a little uneasy and soon he found himself doubting his own convictions.
> 
> (tsuzuku)
> 
> February 28, 2004
> 
> _Phew! Another chappie done! And to even think that I made this in less than 2 weeks!! This is the very 1st time I wrote a chappie in such a short time! Well, if it's not short for you, it already is for me, you know. You see, I usually take 3 months in finishing a single chappie. No, I'm not having any writers' block. It's just that… err… Why am I even bothering telling you all of this? Ack! I'm such a chatterbox!! _
> 
> _Nyweiz, please send in all your reviews and comments to me so that I'd know if you liked reading my fic. Sore ja, minna-san! I gotta go and write my other fic! Toodles!!! _


	3. Distance

> > _Hello again! Sorry for not updating so long, guys! I was REALLY mugging up on school since it's already the last quarter and we really have to study hard to be able to pass this school year. Well, anyways, here's the 3rd chapter! Hope you like it!_
>> 
>> **_Disclaimer:_**_ Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran is a certified property of **©2001 MIHONA FUJII·SHUEI-SHA·TV **_**_TOKYO_****_·GALS! PROJECT_**_… there! I've said it, so don't sue me, okay?_
>> 
>> **Careless Whisper**
>> 
>> **By: Sechskies**
>> 
>> **Chapter 03: Distance**
>> 
>> Opening the glass door to the balcony of their room, Ran's coffee-brown eyes widened in amazement as she looked out over the unimaginable expanse of the blue sea stretching out into the horizon before her. It was her first time to be able to see such a beautiful seascape, and as she inhaled the briny smell of the deep, she let the cold wind kiss her pretty face and brush her wavy, copper-blonde hair awisp.
>> 
>> "Kirei…" she gasped in admiration. "This is one of the most divine things I've ever seen…"
>> 
>> "Same here," Miyuu suddenly said from behind. She then approached her friend and rested her hands on the wooden railing of the veranda, her voice quite distant. "If only Yamato is here, then we could enjoy this romantic view together… Yamato…"
>> 
>> "Miyuu!!"
>> 
>> "I know," she noted, cutting her off. "I just miss him so much, Ran. It's been months already since we've last dated and…"
>> 
>> "Daijoubu yo," Ran put a hand on the blonde girl's shoulder. "Oniichan is just busy, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love you anymore, you know,"
>> 
>> "Ran…"
>> 
>> "Hora! He even gave you a ring to symbolize his 'eternal' love for you so… be happy!" she told her, grinning.
>> 
>> Miyuu merely smiled as she stared lovingly at the cheery-pink gem of the silver ring on her finger. She blushed as she remembered the time when Yamato gave it to her.
>> 
>> "Sou ieba…" Ran continued. "The two of you will get hitched a year from now, right?"
>> 
>> "E?" she blinked.
>> 
>> "Oh, come on, Miyuu! Don't tell me you've forgotten about it already!"
>> 
>> "Of course not!" Miyuu freaked, turning to her friend. "What kind of girlfriend would I be if I did such?"
>> 
>> Ran merely sweat dropped as she saw the sudden change of the blonde lass' face expression. "_Oh boy… Here she goes again…_"
>> 
>> "That was the very first time ever that Yamato kissed me… and it was so wonderful, Ran…" she sighed dreamily, clasping her hands with her fingers.
>> 
>> "Okay, I get your point so stop drooling already, will you?" her friend told her, her eyebrow twitching.
>> 
>> Finally recovering from her daydreaming, Miyuu then turned to the copper-blonde lady standing beside her, her lips curling into a slight, sly smile. "You're just saying that because you don't know how it feels like to be kissed by someone you truly love. You know what exactly I mean, right?"
>> 
>> "No, I don't think so,"
>> 
>> "Why don't you try doing it with Tatsukichi, Ran?" she suggested, her tawny-brown eyes flashing naughtily. "I'm sure you'll be enjoying it much more than I did,"
>> 
>> Hearing this, Ran barely lost her composure, her coffee-brown eyes opening wide in surprise. "M-Miyuu!!"
>> 
>> The blonde lass couldn't help but to laugh as she took sight of her friend's awfully red face. It had always been a good amusement for her to tease Ran like that, since she knew that the copper-blonde girl was quite sensitive when it came to such topics.
>> 
>> "Mou!! Miyuu no baka!" Ran pouted, crossing her arms. "You always like making a fool out of me, don't you?"
>> 
>> "Oh, not really," Miyuu turned around and leaned her back against the railings. "You're just too vulnerable sometimes, Ran,"
>> 
>> "NOT!!"
>> 
>> "Sou ka?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "But why don't you try it anyways? I mean, after being in a quite steady relationship for almost a year now, don't tell me you still don't like Tatsukichi,"
>> 
>> "I do like him, Miyuu," Ran retorted, looking thoughtfully at the view before them. "It's just that I don't think I like him enough to be able to do such things,"
>> 
>> "E? Demo doushite?"
>> 
>> "Trust me, it's a very complicated matter," she sighed, bowing her head. "I don't even know if I fully understand it myself,"
>> 
>> Miyuu let out a soft giggle. "Oh, sure you don't! Your brain can't even process a simple algebra!"
>> 
>> "Yes I can!!" she immediately told her. "I was even able to get a much higher score than you in our quiz last week, mind you!"
>> 
>> "That's a take-home quiz, Ran," The blonde lass crossed her arms and leaned her back further against the wooden paling. "Besides, you were only able to get that grade because Aya was kind and considerate enough to let you copy her answers,"
>> 
>> "So? At least, I got a higher mark. That's all that matters, you know," Ran shrugged, facing her. "Oh, speaking of which, where is she anyway?"
>> 
>> "Aya ka? I thought you knew! I haven't seen her since we got here in our room,"
>> 
>> "Eeeeee?!" the copper-blonde girl freaked, her coffee-brown eyes widening. "_Now where could that gal have gone to…?_"
>> 
>> -----o-----
>> 
>> Aya walked down the vast, sandy ground of the beach resort, humming a light tune to herself as the soft sea breeze sent her long, silky, black hair flowing freely in the air.
>> 
>> As soon as the group entered their allotted rooms, she had gone out to saunter around the place for a while, yet she wasn't able to tell it to her friends. In any case, they seemed too occupied planning their own agendas so she merely shrugged the hassle away, assuming that she'd be back anyway by the time they noticed that she was gone.
>> 
>> Stopping on her tracks, Aya then sat down on the warm, white sand to look at the seascape before her. A gentle smile crept to her lips as she silently watched the peaceful scenery, admiring the way the dark waters of the sea move serenely, its waves seemingly a curtain flowing awisp in the temperate wind.
>> 
>> "Sugoi… kono basho wa…" she whispered, her copper depths dancing with an unexplainable emotion.
>> 
>> Since the place was separated from the open beach, the surroundings were truly restful, a solitary site that would surely make anyone who would come across such a point feel isolated and tranquil, like he was the only person left in the world, and that was what she needed right now. She didn't thoroughly care of the idea that she was the only one there. That was her purpose of going in the spot in the first place. She just wanted to relax and unwind herself from all her burdens, and she knew that a secluded area such as this one was the best place for it.
>> 
>> "_Yes, this is just what I really need…_"
>> 
>> Her forlorn moment, however, was soon cut short when she heard someone softly call her name. Realizing that she wasn't the only one who was in the place, Aya then tentatively turned on her back to look at the caller, her mouth gaping open as her hazel-brown eyes met his blue-gray eyes.
>> 
>> "A-Aré?" she gasped, her eyebrows creasing in confusion as she finally recognized who her company actually was. "… Otohata-kun…?"
>> 
>> -----o-----
>> 
>> "Hey, guys!!" Ran called out, hastily opening the door to the boys' room.
>> 
>> Yuuya and Tatsuki's heads immediately popped out from various doorways after hearing her voice.
>> 
>> "Ran, omae ka!" Tatsuki remarked cheerfully. "What brings you here?"
>> 
>> "Have you seen Aya?" The copper-blonde lass approached her boyfriend, a very worried expression etched on her usually assertive face. "We haven't noticed it earlier but she's been previously missing for at least half an hour already,"
>> 
>> "Sou ka? Ja, where do you think she went to?"
>> 
>> "Wakaranai," she shrugged. "Miyuu already went out to look for her but I doubt that she'd be able to find her that soon. You know how slow that gal can be at times…"
>> 
>> "Maybe she's with Otohata. He's been out too for quite some time now,"
>> 
>> "Maji ka yo?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know how those two interact with each other nowadays. It will be unlikely for us to find them still hanging out together after what had just happened to them, you know,"
>> 
>> Tatsuki merely let out a goofy smile, scratching his head. "I never thought about that…"
>> 
>> "Um… Do you want me to help Miyuu-san find Aya-san?" Yuuya suddenly interrupted.
>> 
>> Ran's head quickly turned to him, her coffee-brown eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "E? You'd really do that for me?"
>> 
>> The blonde lad merely smiled and nodded his head in reply. "Anything for you, Ran-san…"
>> 
>> "Wai!!" In her happiness, Ran spontaneously jumped at him and clasped his hands together with hers. "Arigatou, Yuuya-chan!"
>> 
>> Yuuya could only stifle a nervous laugh as he bowed his head timidly, blushing furiously after noticing how the girl before him held his hands firmly. "H-hai…"
>> 
>> "Yuuya-kun, banzai!!" Tatsuki exclaimed happily, patting the young man's back. "I'm so lucky to have such a good pal like you!"
>> 
>> The blonde youngster turned to the bleached-haired lad standing beside him, looking at him piercingly. "_I'm not doing this for you, ahou,_"
>> 
>> "You really are a lifesaver, Yuuya-chan," Ran suddenly said, releasing her hold on the 2nd placer's hand. "Sa tte,"
>> 
>> Yuuya merely twitched as he saw the copper-blonde lady approach Tatsuki and embrace his arm.
>> 
>> "Now that you'll be on your way looking for those two, you wouldn't mind me and Tatsukichi going ahead of you guys in the beach, ne?"
>> 
>> "Na-Nani?!" The lad's jaw barely dropped after hearing her remark. "D-Demo, Ran-san---"
>> 
>> "Ja ne!!" Ran immediately said, cutting him off. With no more words left spoken, she then pulled Tatsuki and headed for the doorway, leaving a dumfounded Yuuya still standing inside the room.
>> 
>> "R-Ran-san…" he could only whimper, his voice quivering as he sweat dropped, eventually bowing his head down in disappointment. "_… This isn't what exactly I had in mind…_"
>> 
>> Parting his eyelids, he looked up yet again at the white-painted door of their room, anxiety slowly replacing the quite comical expression on his face as his gold-yellow eyes shimmered with worry.
>> 
>> "_Ran-san…_"
>> 
>> -----o-----
>> 
>> "…Otohata-kun…?" Aya blinked, surprised. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
>> 
>> Rei gave out an amused smirk as he looked down at the black-haired lass. "I was about to ask you the same thing,"
>> 
>> "E? A-atashi…" the girl stuttered, bowing her head to hide her redness as the young man sat beside her. "A-ano…"
>> 
>> "This place is really something, don't you think?" he suddenly asked, placing his hands on the soft, white sand behind him.
>> 
>> Aya could only nod her head timidly in reply, folding her legs near her chest as she embraced them with her arms.
>> 
>> "Not to mention peaceful," he continued. "It's very much different from the coast on the other side of the resort,"
>> 
>> "Th-this part is a private seaside, Otohata-kun," she stammered, her voice trembling. "N-no one else is allowed to use this side of the beach except for the… the owners of this resort…"
>> 
>> "A-aa…"
>> 
>> "_And when they find us here, I'm sure that they'll definitely be suing us…_" Aya sweat dropped.
>> 
>> "What are you doing here anyway, Hoshino?"
>> 
>> "E?" she blinked, blushing as she turned to him. Bowing her head yet again, she then rested her chin on her arms and continued, "B-betsu ni… I was just watching the sea, that's all. H-how about you, Otohata-kun?"
>> 
>> "You know the reason," Rei shrugged, his blue-gray eyes looking blankly at the scenery before him as he brushed strands of his sleek black-brown hair from his young, handsome face.
>> 
>> With this, Aya merely beamed a small smile. He only had one explanation whenever he'd be asked by such questions, and after knowing the lad for such a long time, she clearly knew what it was.
>> 
>> "Those so-called 'Gals-in-training' just wouldn't leave me alone," he told her, making the black-haired lass giggle softly. "After winning that fucked-up title for three consecutive years now, I still couldn't get used to that kind of attention. Girls going berserk over you wherever you go… God! That is so unconventional… "
>> 
>> "Th-they just like you a lot, Otohata-kun," she retorted sheepishly. "Some of them may have even fallen in love with you already…"
>> 
>> "Ja, nazé da?" Rei's eyebrows creased as he asked the question, clenching his hands in the sand. "I don't get those women. Why would they want to like someone whom they don't really know anyway?"
>> 
>> Aya felt a familiar pang hit her as she took notice of the serious and goaded expression on the young man's face. She returned her gaze back to the white ground as she held her legs closer to her, her hazel-brown eyes shimmering miserably.
>> 
>> "I don't think there's a reason for that, Otohata-kun…" she remarked, her voice tentative. "After all, people tend to fall in love with no apparent pretexts at all,"
>> 
>> "Dou iu koto?"
>> 
>> "You… You don't have to get to know a person's background first before you decide to fall for them," Aya closed her eyes as she felt her heart beating faster, subsequently heaving out a sigh to calm herself down. This line of questioning was already making her feel uneasy, yet she couldn't seem to stop herself from responding to the lad's every query. "If you love him, you love him… sometimes without even considering who he really is. I mean, falling in love can be very unconditional most of the time and… and…"
>> 
>> "You seem to know a lot about these things, Hoshino," he suddenly intervened, his tone amused.
>> 
>> The girl could only smile weakly in reply. "… And I know that you can tell why…"
>> 
>> Rei merely arched an eyebrow in confusion as he turned to look at the black-haired lass sitting next to him, noticing the blush on her cheeks that she was desperately hiding despite its obviousness.
>> 
>> Soon, an eerie silence swathed over the two youngsters, making them somewhat uncomfortable about their situation. Both knew that they had to break the stillness between them somehow, yet none of them gambled to speak, and as the two waited patiently for either side to start another conversation, the crisp sound of the waves spattering jointly could only be heard in the vast and empty seaside.
>> 
>> -----o-----
>> 
>> Heaving out another worn out sigh, Yuuya sat on the warm, white sand of the beach as he put a tired hand on his creased forehead. He had been searching for Aya for the past hour, but he still couldn't manage to find her. Instead, all that he encountered during his undertaking were countless interruptions for a few photo shots and some autographs from his squealing groupies.
>> 
>> The situation was rather typical for him though. After bagging the 2nd place for the "High School Grand-Prix for the Most Handsome Student" for nearly a year, he had grown quite used to being swarmed by numerous girls. Though he fully admitted that they could be such a bother sometimes, he still couldn't refuse to entertain their every demand as their idol. An organically nice and likable person, that was his vital difference from his best friend and 1st placer of the said competition, Otohata Rei, who still chose to remain dormant and tactless to his fans up until now.
>> 
>> Shifting his position, the blonde youngster then laid his legs out and looked up at the blazing sun above him. He spent a prolonged moment staring at it, despite the brightness that it was giving him, as he questioned himself why Ran was again successful in making him do another favor, such as this one.
>> 
>> The answer was quite evident, of course. He had liked that copper-blonde lass for the longest time now, and he would do just about anything to please her. Unfortunately, she appeared very oblivious about his true intentions. If she did, perhaps she regarded it as his mere way of showing "friendship", and he fully understood that. He was quite an affectionate guy to begin with anyways, and having such a personality, it would be really difficult for anyone to deduce his true feelings. It was fairly similar to Rei's insensitive and remote attitude.
>> 
>> Closing his eyes, Yuuya then flopped his head down droopily as the temperate breeze kissed his young, handsome face and sent his loose, mint-green shirt flapping noiselessly in the wind.
>> 
>> A year ago, he had vowed to himself that he would steal Ran's heart away from her boyfriend, Tatsuki, but until now, he still couldn't figure out how. He had already submitted himself to her every plea; he would treat her to an eatery every time she would get hungry, do all her assignments and term papers, accompany her in shopping if her friends weren't available… He'd even deem sauntering around Shibuya butt-naked if she asked him to!
>> 
>> All that he was willing to do for her… for his beloved Kotobuki Ran, yet every time he would do so, she would just give him a friendly pat in return and eventually leave him alone. This had been going on for almost a year now, and Yuuya couldn't help but wonder if Ran was just making use of him to do her work, so that she could carry on the rest of her plans with her girl friends with no disturbances at all. Sometimes, he even found himself thinking that letting him do her errands was just an excuse for her to spend more time with Tatsuki, just like what happened a while ago, and he cringed at the mere thought of them being together.
>> 
>> "Kuso…" he grunted, shaking his head as he scratched his head irritably.
>> 
>> Could it be that Ran really liked that spiky, bleached-haired lad? He never thought about it yet, but now that he just had, he couldn't stop a twinge of mixed doubt, curiosity and confusion shoot him near the center of his chest. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew that Ran might really have a possibility to like Tatsuki in 'that' way. He was just too ignorant to sort it out, or better yet, he merely pretended not to see it coming. After all, she wouldn't date him for a year if she hadn't felt anything quite special for the young man.
>> 
>> Lifting his head up again, Yuuya closed his eyes as he felt another squall of wind converge his smooth face. He inhaled the brackish smell of the sea, his expression becoming quite calm, though a trace of sadness could still be recognized.
>> 
>> He couldn't deny that he was already feeling very baffled about his current contemplations, and he sweat dropped as he gradually realized that. He didn't know how those thoughts came into him in the first place, but he felt rather appreciative nonetheless. He had no idea where this pending notion came from, but after reflecting about this state for many times now, he had finally came into the ultimate realization that his much-loved copper-blonde Super Gal could never see him like the way he wished she would.
>> 
>> "Sou… just like that old verse…" the blonde lad said, his voice quite distant. "You're so near… yet, your heart seems so far away..."
>> 
>> With this, a light chuckle subsequently escaped from Yuuya's lips. He had never been this poetic before, and he somehow found it amusing. Other than that, he seemed to have taken his own insights quite well. Come to think of it, it was just his own comprehension anyway, but for a sensitive guy like he was, his apprehended reaction turned out quite ironic. When faced with a dilemma such as this, he was supposedly panicking already, but now, he truly appeared callous about it, though he couldn't understand why exactly.
>> 
>> Well, he hadn't got enough wits to analyze the situation properly anyway, so maybe he would just consider talking these insecurities of his out with a friend who could surely be of help to him… Rei, Miyuu, Aya and even---
>> 
>> "AYA!!" Yuuya's gold-yellow eyes suddenly flung open, automatically dismissing his current thoughts. He had totally forgotten about her!
>> 
>> "Ran-san would surely kill me if I haven't found Aya-san up to now," he panicked, standing up. His eyes darted everywhere in the empty seaside, frantically searching for a figure of a familiar black-haired lass as he started walking yet again.
>> 
>> He had already looked for her in all the possible places, and knowing that this was the only area left wherein he hadn't sought her out, he assumed that she could be somewhere in this region of the resort.
>> 
>> "Aya-san, doko iku no?"
>> 
>> Just then, Yuuya stopped trekking as his copper depths caught sight of a seemingly recognizable silhouette. He was sitting on the white sand, facing the sea extending before him, just like what he did earlier, and as he narrowed his eyes to look clearer into his blurry vision, he finally identified the figure as the black-haired lass, who he had been long searching for.
>> 
>> "Aya-san---"
>> 
>> Yet, he was cut off in his words when he noticed another profile sitting beside her. The outline was taller than Aya, and his broad shoulders and slender built caused the blonde youngster to regard him as a man. He couldn't seem to recognize him, but his black-brown hair and stance suddenly made him think of Rei.
>> 
>> "He couldn't be that guy, could he?" he muttered, arching an eyebrow.
>> 
>> Seeing the lad's face partially when he turned sideward, he was clearly mistaken. "R-Rei-san…?"
>> 
>> Yuuya stood there for a few minutes, the couple before him apparently unaware of his presence. As he fixed his steady gaze on them, a small smile then planted itself on his lips.
>> 
>> "_It's good to see that those two are together again…_" he said to himself, smiling, though deep down he was actually questioning why the two youngsters were hanging out yet again.
>> 
>> Blinking back, the blonde young man then shook his head, shrugging the thought of his mind.
>> 
>> Things like that should not be questioned. After all, it was no secret to them that Rei and Aya have dated, though their relationship still appeared unofficial. Just like the others, he was used to seeing them together, yet now it seemed that he was completely new to the whole state.
>> 
>> Perhaps it was because of the fact that the two haven't been together for quite a while. That must have been the reason, but the combined emotion of happiness and uneasiness mingling together inside him clearly proved that there was another cause for his previous reaction… but what exactly was it?
>> 
>> (tsuzuku)
>> 
>> March 11, 2004
>> 
>> _Okay, I know this chappie turned out quite longer than I've expected, but I couldn't find a proper ending! Err…Just tell me if my story is acceptable enough, and if my grammar and the way I described the characters (actions, looks, emotions, contemplations…) can still be understood… okay? I'm beginning to have some doubts about my writing… err…. _
>> 
>> _And oh, I almost forgot! Starting this chappie, I'll be putting a translation guide for you, dear readers, so that you'll be conclusively able to understand all the Japanese words and phrases I've been using. I don't want any of my patrons to get confused about my story now, would I? Hehe… **AppleRiku**, this is for you, by the way. Hope you finally comprehend my fic with this mini dictionary!! :D_
>> 
>> _This guide section parenthetically covers chappies 1-3…_
>> 
>> **Atashi / Or** - I
>> 
>> **Gomen (na)** – I'm sorry
>> 
>> **Demo** – But
>> 
>> **Ja** **(ne) **– See you / Then
>> 
>> **Doushite?** **/ Nazé da? **– Why?
>> 
>> **Arigatou** – Thank you
>> 
>> **Daijoubu (ka?)** – I'm all right / It's all right / Are you all right?
>> 
>> **Heiki** – I'm fine
>> 
>> **Wakatta wa yo, mou!!** – I get it already, okay?!
>> 
>> **Mattaku / Che** – swear words
>> 
>> **Mou!!** – a certain way of complaining
>> 
>> **Maa ii!!** – Fine!!
>> 
>> **Masaka! / Sonna!** – No way!
>> 
>> **Maa na** - I guess so
>> 
>> **Shinpai shi nai yo / Shinpai shi nee** – Don't worry
>> 
>> **Sou yo!** – That's right!
>> 
>> **Wai / Yatta / Yoshi** – All right!! (exclamation words)
>> 
>> **Hai / Ee / Un** **/ Aa **– Yes
>> 
>> **E? / Nani?** – What?
>> 
>> **Daré desu ka, Okaasan?** – Who is it, Mother?
>> 
>> **Iie / Iya** – No
>> 
>> **Betsu ni** – It's nothing
>> 
>> **Hontou?** – Really?
>> 
>> **Sou ka (?) / Sou** – I see / Is that so?
>> 
>> **Sa tte** – Well then
>> 
>> **Ikimashou ka?** – Are we going?
>> 
>> **Doushita (no)?** – What's the matter? / Is there a problem?
>> 
>> **Omoshiroi!** – Interesting!
>> 
>> **Osoi wa yo!** – You're late!
>> 
>> **Datté yo…** – Because…
>> 
>> **Tokorode / Sou ieba** – By the way
>> 
>> **Wakatta!** – Okay!
>> 
>> **Yappari iya da** – I really don't want to
>> 
>> **Ii no yo** – It's okay
>> 
>> **Nii **– 2nd place (the Gals' original pet name for Yuuya)
>> 
>> **Omae wa tottemo utsukushii na mono da…** - You truly are a beautiful being…
>> 
>> **Nanda?** – What is it?
>> 
>> **Betsu ni, nani mo** – There's nothing wrong
>> 
>> **Maa, maa, futari-tomo!** – Hey, you two!
>> 
>> **Chigau yo!** – You're wrong!
>> 
>> **Baka bakashi bakari** – You keep on saying stupid things
>> 
>> **Yarou** – Bastard
>> 
>> **Minna**- Everyone
>> 
>> **Hontou da yo!** – It's true!
>> 
>> **Iku zo / Iku yo** – Let's go
>> 
>> **Ano zaru yarou** – That monkey bastard
>> 
>> **O-saki ni** – I'm going ahead
>> 
>> **Oi **– Hey
>> 
>> **Ano…** – hesitation phrase
>> 
>> **Anata-tachi** – You (plural form)
>> 
>> **Kirei** – Beautiful
>> 
>> **Miyuu no baka!** – I hate you, Miyuu!
>> 
>> **Sugoi… kono basho wa** – This place is amazing…
>> 
>> **Wakaranai** – I don't know
>> 
>> **Maji ka yo? **– Are you kidding?
>> 
>> **Banzai! **– word used in praising someone
>> 
>> **Ahou **– Stupid (noun)
>> 
>> **Dou iu koto? **– What do you mean?
>> 
>> **Kuso **– Damn / Fuck / Shit (oh, you know what I mean!)
>> 
>> **Doko iku no? **– Where did you go to?


	4. Twist

> > > _Phew! Since the school year is over, I can finally get to write my stories more often without worrying about my studies!! Yahoo!!! Though I have to admit that I don't think I did a pretty good job with my school works… oh, well! Guess I'll just have to attend another summer classes… Hauu… Poor me! Err…_
>>> 
>>> **_Disclaimer:_**_ Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran is a certified property of **©2001 MIHONA FUJII·SHUEI-SHA·TV **_**_TOKYO_****_·GALS! PROJECT_**_… there! I've said it, so don't sue me, okay?_
>>> 
>>> **Careless Whisper**
>>> 
>>> **By: Sechskies**
>>> 
>>> **Chapter 04: Twist**
>>> 
>>> In the midst of the beach resort, Miyuu walked down the busy lobby of the building, her tawny-brown eyes frantically searching everywhere in an effort to find her black-haired friend. She had been looking for her for the longest time now and was already in an attempt to give up, but since she assured Ran that she would be finding her, she had no more choice but to keep her word.
>>> 
>>> "_Well, at least this will take my mind off Yamato for a while…_" she told herself.
>>> 
>>> Though Ran had already talked to her about the said concern, Miyuu still couldn't help but to feel a little saddened about her boyfriend's absence. It had been so long since they have last dated, and now that the group was finally able to grab the chance to go to an exclusive place such as the well-known Chiba Beach Resort, he still couldn't manage to come. She was missing him so much, and was actually feeling nauseous about his constant nonattendance already. However, being the sweet and understanding girl as she was at present, Miyuu could do nothing but to set aside her eagerness about their trip yet again and consider Yamato's condition as a diligent policeman for the umpteenth time.
>>> 
>>> Walking to a slightly empty hallway, Miyuu's cell phone suddenly rang, snapping her out of her dead thoughts. Its loud sound caused her to jerk back in surprise, yet her reflex was prompt enough to recover her poise.
>>> 
>>> "Moshi moshi?" she answered, holding the pink receiver close to her.
>>> 
>>> "Miyuu!!" Ran immediately spoke to her on the other line, her high-pitched voice making her wince at the sudden loudness that boomed in her ear.
>>> 
>>> "R-Ran?!" the blonde lass said inquisitively. "What do you want?"
>>> 
>>> "It's about Aya," she told her. "Yuuya-chan already found her, so I guess we can all enjoy swimming together now. Meet us here in the seaside, just adjacent to the snow cone store, okay, Miyuu? Ja ne!!" Giving her friend no time to reply, Ran then hung up the phone.
>>> 
>>> Miyuu heaved out a weary sigh and inserted her cell phone back to the pocket of her denim shorts. She shook her head as she thought about how her copper-blonde best friend could appear overly enthusiastic at times, yet soon dismissed it as irrelevant and began to trot her way to the exit of the building.
>>> 
>>> As she turned to another intersection, however, the blonde lass suddenly bumped into a tall silhouette. The seemingly strapping impact made her fall butt-first on the carpeted floor.
>>> 
>>> "G-gomen nasai…" she whispered. "W-were you…"
>>> 
>>> Yet, her voice gradually trailed off as she lifted her head up to look at the face of the figure. Her tawny-brown eyes widened in surprise as it came across his russet-brown orbs.
>>> 
>>> "Miyuu, omae ka!" he told her, his voice calm, yet energized.
>>> 
>>> With this, Miyuu could only give out a weak smile in reply, finally recognizing the familiar features of the person standing before her. Her cheeks burned red at his arresting sight, and as her eyes sparkled contentedly, she opened her mouth to speak in a soft tone.
>>> 
>>> "Aitakatta yo, Yamato…"
>>> 
>>> -----o-----
>>> 
>>> "Samui…" Aya whispered, hugging herself as she dipped her toe slightly on the water of the beach. "_How come the water is so cold when the temperature is very warm today?_"
>>> 
>>> "Aya-chan!!" Ran suddenly called from behind, her voice oddly playful.
>>> 
>>> The black-haired lass tentatively looked back at her friend, yet before her hazel-brown eyes could even meet her face, Ran had already shoved her toward the waterline, the power of the young girl's influence causing her to fall harshly on the wet sand.
>>> 
>>> "Mou!! Why did you push me, Ran?! Ittai yo!!" she cried, rubbing her aching posterior.
>>> 
>>> Ran merely let out a wide grin, placing her hands on her slim waist as she stood boldly before Aya. "You were taking so long standing there, doing nothing but impersonate an egging bird,"
>>> 
>>> "Excuse me? Egging bird?"
>>> 
>>> "Sou yo," she giggled. "I have to let you know that we went here for swimming, Aya, not---"
>>> 
>>> Aya suddenly splashed a large amount of sea water on the copper-blonde lass, cutting her off. "You were saying, Ran?" she asked haughtily, staring at her friend, who was trying hard to choke out the salty water that she had just accidentally swallowed.
>>> 
>>> "Wh-what the hell was that for, Aya?!" Ran whined, her face flushed from all her coughing.
>>> 
>>> "That's payback for what you did to me!" she simply tittered.
>>> 
>>> "A, sou ka?! Ja, take this!!" the copper-blonde girl exclaimed, splattering an even bigger sum of water on her best friend.
>>> 
>>> "Iya!!"
>>> 
>>> -----o-----
>>> 
>>> As the two young women ran playfully around the shore, trying to avoid each other's attacks, Yuuya couldn't help but to smile at watching their lively actions. He laid his legs out on the warm, white sand as his gold-yellow eyes fixed themselves on Ran, who was still running after her black-haired friend.
>>> 
>>> "Ran-san…" he whispered distantly.
>>> 
>>> Heaving out a sigh, he then remembered about his previous contemplations regarding his beloved copper-blonde lass. He didn't know where those ideas came from, yet somehow he felt grateful for encountering such notions. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to realize how many sufferings he had already endured for Ran. He didn't want to be pessimistic about things, but from what he had observed, there was really no way for the Super Gal to acknowledge his feelings for her. Yet, even though it was only a mere idea that had suddenly popped out from his head, that simple impulse was enough to make him come back to his senses and face reality.
>>> 
>>> "_Mattaku… I thought I'm already through with this…_" Yuuya flopped his head down droopily, closing his eyes as he sighed tiredly yet again.
>>> 
>>> Yes, he was done reflecting on this matter, and had finally settled on what exactly to do. Though he fully admitted that he still loved Shibuya's No. 1 Gal, enough was already enough for him. After spending an awfully long time in running after Ran and subsequently getting nothing in return, he had finally decided that he would let her go. He would now release his hold on her, not because he had already given up his feelings for her, but that he wanted himself to be freed from all his anxieties.
>>> 
>>> Sou… He had meticulously considered this verdict, and he wasn't even the least regretful in carrying it out. This sense, he believed, would probably be the best way for both of them to be finally relieved.
>>> 
>>> "_That simple,_" Yuuya shrugged inwardly, nodding his head in agreement. "_It couldn't hurt that bad, could it?_"
>>> 
>>> "Oi, nani wo shiteru no?" Rei's cold voice suddenly spoke to the blonde lad, poking him to actuality.
>>> 
>>> "E?" he blinked.
>>> 
>>> "You were sitting there like a zombie. Is there a problem?"
>>> 
>>> "Heh?" Yuuya let out a nervous laugh, scratching his head goofily. "I-I was just thinking about something, Rei-san. It's no big deal,"
>>> 
>>> "A, sou…" he merely said, his handsome face devoid of any emotion.
>>> 
>>> Sighing heavily, the blonde youngster then averted his gaze back to the young girls playing on the shore. He smiled as he watched his 'former' beloved run jovially around the area, her red-streaked, copper-blonde hair tied in pigtails bobbing with every graceful movement she made, as her beautiful face showed that of pure bliss. She was a symbol of unadulterated fun and excitement to his eyes, and the young man considered that factor as one of the few reasons why he must have probably fallen deeply in love with her.
>>> 
>>> Opening his mouth, Yuuya was about to speak to Rei yet again when he noticed that the black brown-haired lad was looking thoughtfully at the scenery before them. He raised an eyebrow in both question and confusion as he noted the gentle expression plastered on his friend's usually blank face, and as he turned to trace the direction where the young man was exactly looking at, Yuuya's face then perked up as he finally comprehended it.
>>> 
>>> "_Aya-san ka…?_"
>>> 
>>> As another smile planted itself on his lips, Yuuya couldn't suppress a tiny spark of crimson that crept up to his face. He felt his jaw almost drop at the eye-catching sight that Aya was giving to them, her long, silky black hair flowing freely in the air as she fooled around with Ran, smiling and laughing heartily. He never saw the lass like this before, and his heartbeat raced madly as he noticed how the way her white, sakura-patterned swimwear accentuated the perfect curves of her shapely body flawlessly. With that charming smile and that smooth, porcelain skin, Yuuya supposed that Aya could be truly mistaken as an angel.
>>> 
>>> "Aya-san wa tottemo kirei na kanojo da, ne?" he then remarked, turning to his black brown-haired companion and soon noticed the bothered glint on his blue-gray eyes. "R-Rei-san?"
>>> 
>>> "Hoshino no koto suki na no?"
>>> 
>>> "E?" he blinked.
>>> 
>>> Rei took a deep breath and turned to look at Yuuya. "I'm asking you if you like Hoshino, Yuuya," he asked again, his voice composed, yet a tone of annoyance could still be heard.
>>> 
>>> The blonde youngster could only arch an eyebrow in return, bemused at the sudden change of his friend's mood. He perceived the tiny glint of menace that flashed on Rei's dark depths, yet since he didn't know what that flicker exactly meant, his face enlivened once again as he let out his usual cheery smile.
>>> 
>>> "Mochiron," he simply told him, unable to see the frown that worked its way on the black brown-haired lad's face in response.
>>> 
>>> "B-but don't get me wrong, okay, Rei-san?" he soon added, breaking the unusual silence that momentarily clouded them. "I only like Aya-san because she's my friend,"
>>> 
>>> As Rei shifted his stare at the clear, blue skies above them, Yuuya promptly shook his head, his gold-yellow eyes shimmering inexplicably. Another odd stillness began to enshroud the two Grand-Prix winners, and this time, neither of them made an effort to break the lingering hush.
>>> 
>>> Noticing the perturbed look on Rei's handsome face, the blonde lad couldn't help but wonder about the reason behind his companion's current disposition. If his earlier remark regarding Aya was the one that caused him to be like that, did that mean that Rei was actually jealous?
>>> 
>>> He never thought about it yet, and sure as heck would that feeling even exist in his friend's seemingly natural icy core, but it could still be possible, right? After dating such a pleasant lass for many months, it would be very impractical, even for a guy as cold as Otohata Rei, to not develop even the slightest feeling of attraction to her. Then again, knowing how glacial the black brown-haired lad could be at times made him nearly doubt his own thoughts.
>>> 
>>> "_So, is he jealous or what?_" Yuuya found himself thinking, scratching his head harder in confusion. His contemplations, however, were suddenly interrupted when he heard Ran's high-pitched voice.
>>> 
>>> "Miyuu!!"
>>> 
>>> Yuuya turned his attention back to the copper-blonde lass as she approached her short-haired best friend, Aya following her close behind. He smiled sheepishly as he saw the black-haired girl turn to their direction and wave timidly at them.
>>> 
>>> -----o-----
>>> 
>>> "E? Oniichan is here?!" Ran gasped, her coffee-brown eyes widening.
>>> 
>>> "Ee," Miyuu nodded. "I bumped into him when I was on my way here. It was totally unexpected,"
>>> 
>>> "Sou ka? Good for you then," she grinned, patting her friend's back.
>>> 
>>> Miyuu found herself blushing in return. "A-arigatou…"
>>> 
>>> "So where is he?"
>>> 
>>> "He's currently buying some snow cones," she replied. "We ran into Tatsukichi and the two of them are waiting patiently to purchase their foods in the snack bar. They should be here any minute now,"
>>> 
>>> "Oh, yeah… I almost forgot about that..." Ran murmured, idly twirling the red-streaked strands of her copper-blonde hair with a slender finger. "I was wondering where the heck he went to when I asked him to buy me a chocolate waffled cone 15 minutes ago…"
>>> 
>>> "Interesting…" Miyuu sweat dropped, noticing the slight irritation in her friend's voice.
>>> 
>>> "Omoshirou sou ja nai wa yo, mou!!" she abruptly pouted, crossing her arms near her chest. "That guy practically has my energy supplier, Miyuu!!"
>>> 
>>> The blonde lass could only shake her head in amusement, giggling softly. "_Same, old ravenous Ran… I should have known this is just about that stupid waffled cone…_"
>>> 
>>> "Umm… Guys?" Aya suddenly intervened, her voice timid and hesitant.
>>> 
>>> "Nani, Aya?" her two best friends replied simultaneously, turning to the petite figure of the black-haired lass. Quiet and introverted as she was, they nearly forgot that she was even there, listening to their earlier conversation.
>>> 
>>> Aya merely smiled in return and pointed her finger toward them.
>>> 
>>> As Ran and Miyuu looked back in confusion, the frowns on their faces were then replaced by excited beams as soon as they saw their boyfriends walking their way towards them, eager smirks planted on their lips as well.
>>> 
>>> With this, Miyuu immediately trotted to her brown-haired Yamato, and seeing that Tatsuki already had her anticipated nibble, Ran shortly followed.
>>> 
>>> "Tatsukichi!!" she exclaimed happily, giving the bleached-haired lad a quick hug before grabbing the waffled cone away from his grasp.
>>> 
>>> Miyuu, on the other hand, meekly took the snow cone that Yamato gave to her and soon embraced his arm, blushing furiously.
>>> 
>>> Sighing contentedly, Aya couldn't help but smile as she serenely watched the two couples. She felt quite warm and relaxed at the romantic scene before her, and though she didn't have a boyfriend of her own as of yet, she wasn't feeling a bit concerned about the situation.
>>> 
>>> "Overly affectionate turtledoves they are. Don't you ever get tired staring at them?" a soft, monotonous voice suddenly asked her.
>>> 
>>> Aya merely beamed a small smile. She clearly knew to whom the intonation belonged too, and a quite evident speck of crimson made its way on her pale cheeks as she felt her shoulder brush slightly against his bare chest. "Iie… I find it rather tender, Otohata-kun…"
>>> 
>>> "Sou…" Rei sighed, peering curiously at the black-haired lass standing beside him. The heat on her cheeks was too apparent for him to miss, and as the warm wind drifted around the area, he then inserted his hands on the pockets of his slack, blue swimming shorts, the petite girl still oblivious to his steady gaze on her.
>>> 
>>> -----o-----
>>> 
>>> "Nice one, Oniichan!!"
>>> 
>>> "Ii zo!"
>>> 
>>> "Sasuga Yamato-san!"
>>> 
>>> Pinching his nose firmly, Yamato's eyebrows twitched as he took a sip of his younger sister's 'special drink', the rest of his friends cheering him on to start drinking the green liquid.
>>> 
>>> Their first day in the Chiba Beach Resort had been very fulfilling. After encountering Miyuu in the lobby, she dragged him towards their group to spend the rest of his vacation with them. It didn't matter to him though, since he went to the place to get together with his girlfriend in the first place. And after several fun-filled hours of swimming and eating, their whole youthful group was now sitting quite casually in the boys' room, rooting for him to finish his challenge of drinking Ran's infamous 'mixed vegetable juice' in their lively game of Truth or Dare.
>>> 
>>> "_God, I should have chosen the Truth,_" he silently cried, feeling his russet-brown eyes watering as the unpleasant smell of the juice began to intoxicate his senses.
>>> 
>>> "Oh, Yamato, you really don't have to this. Please, I don't want you to die!" Miyuu pleaded, clutching her boyfriend's white sleeve. A vein then popped out from her forehead as she heard Ran's immediate disagreement.
>>> 
>>> "Oh, come on, Miyuu!! It's just a stupid game, you know!" she merely shrugged, repressing a giggle. "My specially made veggie drink is highly death-free, I assure you,"
>>> 
>>> The blonde lass was about to protest, but she was soon cut off when Yamato placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She automatically calmed down when he flashed her his confident grin, and she could only bite her lower lip as she watched the young brunette glug down the lush content of the huge tumbler, droplets of the green liquid running down on his chin at his effort of finishing the liquor in a quick manner.
>>> 
>>> As the party cheered on the young policeman yet again, Yuuya merely sweat dropped at the scene before him. He knew what Yamato was exactly feeling right now, since he himself also had a doze of that vegetable drink once. It was the time when the group went to a covered pool somewhere in the district of Tokyo, specifically in Shibuya, and though it already happened a year ago, he could still taste the awful flavor of the juice on his tongue.
>>> 
>>> With this, Yuuya winced and felt a cold chill run up his spine. Just the mere thought of it never failed to make him have the Goosebumps and he immediately shook his head, determined to get the idea off his mind.
>>> 
>>> Blinking back, he then scanned the area with his gold-yellow eyes, observing each person silently despite their quite deafening cheers. It was currently 8:30 in the evening and after playing Truth or Dare for almost two hours, he assumed that everyone already had their own turns in the activity. He felt himself shuddering as he recalled the existing order of the game; Tatsuki performing a monkey dance in front of everyone, Ran mimicking the voice of Jungle Smile's female vocalist as she sang the song, "Dakishimetai", Rei drinking the two bottles of grape wine that the resort staff gave to them as a welcoming gift, and now Yamato enjoying a taste of hell with the copper-blonde lass' vegetable juice. Miyuu seemed to be the only one who was quite smart, or rather cautious enough to choose Truth when she got her turn, though Ran practically asked her quite a revealing and embarrassing question in turn.
>>> 
>>> Just then, Yuuya felt a soft tap on his shoulder. The blonde lad quickly looked to his side only to find Aya's pair of bright, hazel-brown eyes staring back at him.
>>> 
>>> "Daijoubu, Asuo-kun?" she asked, her eyebrows creasing with worry. "You seem to be a bit dazed,"
>>> 
>>> "Heh? A, n-no, I'm not!" he laughed nervously, scratching his head stupidly yet again.
>>> 
>>> As the black-haired lass smiled back and returned her attention to the quite comical Yamato, Yuuya was left to gaze at her thoughtfully, unaware that a fairly drunk Rei was suspiciously spying on them from the corner of the room. He felt the heat rise up to his cheeks as he gazed at her angelic features, and there he found himself in another trance.
>>> 
>>> His eyebrows furrowed as a sudden wonderment entered his mind. Why was he finding himself constantly blushing whenever he looked at Aya? An indeed pensive notion he had to contemplate. Surely, Aya was very beautiful, and he couldn't doubt that he had been admiring her rare beauty ever since he met her. He even considered her to be much prettier than her fellow Super Gals, yet he was certain he never let himself see her more than a friend. However, from his recent reactions towards her whenever he would see her, he couldn't help but feel a little bemused and doubtful.
>>> 
>>> Shaking his head yet again, Yuuya rubbed a hand to his creased forehead as he shrugged the thought off his mind. After having a brief conversation with Rei earlier at the beach and subsequently getting quite intrigued about him, he promised to himself right then and there that he would do anything to find out about how his friend truly felt for Aya, but first thing was first. If he wanted his oddity to be answered, he had to thoroughly ponder his true thoughts regarding the black-haired girl and fathom his current responses towards her initially before doing so. Otherwise, a seemingly improbable predicament would surely occur.
>>> 
>>> "Yatta!!" Ran suddenly exclaimed, her loud voice enough to snap the blonde youngster back to his senses once again.
>>> 
>>> As he regularly blinked, he then noticed that Yamato was already done drinking the vegetable juice, his horrified face indicating the terrible taste of the liquor and that he should be close to throwing up any minute now. He grinned amusedly as Miyuu anxiously comforted her boyfriend, and as he turned his awareness towards the others, he finally discerned the reason behind the shrill exclamation of the copper-blonde lass.
>>> 
>>> Apparently, the empty wine bottle that they were using for their little amusement of Truth or Dare was currently pointed towards Aya, a trace of nervousness evident on her face as she fearfully waited for her friends to come up with the suitable consequence for her. She actually wanted to choose Truth, but knowing that Ran would probably ask her any more blunt questions regarding Rei made her do otherwise.
>>> 
>>> "S-so…?" she squeaked, tightening her embrace on the fluffy pillow that she was holding.
>>> 
>>> Ran didn't say anything and shifted her head to examine each person in the room. Her expression remained somewhat serious despite the sniggers of the group, yet as she finally locked her gaze on the black brown-haired lad sitting droopily between Yuuya and Tatsuki, an immediate silence fell upon the whole area.
>>> 
>>> "What are you looking at?" Rei asked, his face a deep shade of red from the wine he had drunk.
>>> 
>>> Aya felt herself relax with relief as the copper-blonde lass shook her head in return. She didn't have any ideas what Ran had exactly planned for her dare, yet she was glad that Rei wasn't part of it in some way.
>>> 
>>> Gaping at the panicking girl beside him, Yuuya failed to restrain a chuckle. He truly found Aya quite interesting to look at when she was in such a state, but as he heard another knot of enthusiastic snickers, he abruptly halted his actions and only then did he find himself staring back at Ran's coffee-brown eyes, her copper depths glinting mischievously.
>>> 
>>> "…Uh-oh…" he merely stuttered. The intent look that everyone was giving to him was already making him rather uneasy.
>>> 
>>> With this, Ran felt herself grin wider as she returned her gaze back to her black-haired best friend. "Aya, I DARE you to kiss…" She directed a lean finger to the blonde young man sitting beside her. "Yuuya-chan,"
>>> 
>>> "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?!?!?!" Aya and Yuuya freaked simultaneously, the rest of the group now laughing wholeheartedly at the sight of their awfully flushed faces.
>>> 
>>> "R-Ran?!" the black-haired lass panicked, her hazel-brown eyes widening in surprise.
>>> 
>>> Ran could only laugh nervously and smile timidly at the red teenagers before her. "Ehe… Double dare?"
>>> 
>>> "N-no!!" Aya snapped, slamming her pillow on the carpeted floor.
>>> 
>>> "Aya-chan, don't be such a party pooper!" Tatsuki suddenly intervened, still chuckling. "It's just for fun. Nothing personal,"
>>> 
>>> "Sou yo!" Miyuu added.
>>> 
>>> Yamato could only nod his head in reply, his face still green from the effect of the vegetable drink.
>>> 
>>> Rei, on the other hand, didn't say anything and bowed his head lazily, hiccupping silently.
>>> 
>>> "B-but why m-me?" Yuuya nearly whimpered.
>>> 
>>> "Because the two of you are the only ones left who haven't got their dares," Ran merely giggled, turning to Aya yet again. "Now, hurry up, Aya, and kiss Yuuya-chan on the cheek. You're wasting too much time already,"
>>> 
>>> "E? Cheek?" Aya blinked.
>>> 
>>> "Yes, cheek," she returned, raising a curious eyebrow. "Where do you expect anyway?"
>>> 
>>> Aya felt herself blushing furiously once more as she saw the sly smile forming on her best friend's lips. She bowed her head shyly, but quickly lifted it up again when Yuuya's lively voice spoke to her.
>>> 
>>> "L-let's just get this thing over with, okay, Aya-san?" he asked her, smiling.
>>> 
>>> It took the black-haired lass a few minutes before she could decide, but finally she nodded her head in reply and 2nd placer settled on his seat. As their friends waited eagerly for them, she then knelt down beside the blonde lad, took a deep breath and slowly drew her face nearer to him, taking a pause every once in a while.
>>> 
>>> Exhaling deeply, Rei could only scowl as he looked at the two youngsters before him through his blurry vision. He narrowed his eyes to have a better view of them, but to no avail, for the upshot of his drunkenness had already started to affect him. Although he knew that it was all just a game for everyone, he couldn't suppress a deep growl of hatred enter his throat as Aya was now an inch closer to his blonde friend, and as the others began to cheer loudly yet again, he failed to notice Ran's impish, coffee-brown eyes on him when he glared irritably at the pair.
>>> 
>>> Conversely, Yuuya closed his eyes and bit his lip as he waited for the likely contact. He tried his best to calm his nerves down, yet the thought of Aya being very close to him made him feel like panicking. He could already feel her hot breath on his skin, as well as her even paced inhalation and though it was only a mere peck on the cheek, he couldn't help but to flush hotter.
>>> 
>>> "_Get over it, Yuuya!_" he reprimanded himself. "_You've already done this with a lot of women before, remember?_"
>>> 
>>> Being a pretty popular figure among the ladies, Yuuya sensibly had his own experiences of getting kissed by his fans whenever they got the chance. It was plainly similar with being mobbed by a huge mass of fanatical Gals almost everyday, but it evidently meant nothing to him. After all, it was just a friendly kiss… like this incoming one, so he guessed that there was really nothing to worry about. Getting awfully nervous over something insignificant was obviously a big waste of time.
>>> 
>>> "_Sou! Sou!_"
>>> 
>>> "Oh, God! Yamato is going to puke!!" Miyuu suddenly yelled. "Get your butt off there before he gags on you, Nii!!"
>>> 
>>> "What the---" Yuuya exclaimed, sweat dropping. Yet, the rest of his words were lost when he hastily turned to his side, much to everyone's surprise.
>>> 
>>> Apparently, he had completely forgotten about his current situation. Overlooking that Aya was still a tad inch close to him, his gold-yellow eyes widened in sheer shock as his lips brushed to hers accidentally.
>>> 
>>> Neither of them was able to move afterwards, and as another hush enveloped the whole room, Rei eventually chose this moment to doze off from his intoxication, the image of the stunned faces of his best friend and Aya lip-locking the last thing he took sight of before falling unconscious.
>>> 
>>> (tsuzuku)
>>> 
>>> March 25, 2004
>>> 
>>> _So much for the 4th chappie! Hope you like it, by the ways. Once again, it turned out quite longer than expected, and sorry if I ended the chappie hanging like that. I couldn't find any other appropriate cliffhangers, so don't flame me, okay? _
>>> 
>>> _Lastly, I want to invite all AyaXRei fanatics out there to join my group in **Yahoo! Groups**. Well, ehe… I just love the couple so much that I've decided to start a group that would gather all their groupies. Sou yo! It's called "**AyaXRei Love Chronicles**". Saya-saya noh?! So if you guys want to join my group, you can just click on my profile to see the address, or better yet, hit the address on to be directly linked to the page. The group is not that good yet, since I've only started it last week, but I'm hoping that it'll develop in no time with the help of my eherm! future members. The only 'colorful' part as of now is the Photos Section. I've put several photos of our beloved Otohata Rei and Hoshino Aya, both individually and together, and I'm hoping to share it to you, guys! So… hope you'll sign up!! :D_
>>> 
>>> _By the way, "**Dakishimetai**" is the ending song of the anime and is performed by **Jungle Smile**. The band is composed of 2 peeps (a boy and a girl), and if you've watched the animé, you've probably heard the way the female vocalist sang the song. Well, if you ask me, I find her voice quite funny… that's why I chose her to be Ran's dare. I know I'm not making any sense here, but hey! It would be very embarrassing for me to act her voice out in front of so many peeps, friends or not! So… do you get my point? Err… XD_
>>> 
>>> **Moshi moshi? **– Hello? (used in answering a phone call)
>>> 
>>> **Ja ne** – See you
>>> 
>>> **Gomen nasai **– I'm sorry
>>> 
>>> **Omae ka** – It's you
>>> 
>>> **Aitakatta (yo) **– I wanted to see you
>>> 
>>> **Mou!!** – a certain way of complaining
>>> 
>>> **Ittai yo** – It hurt/s
>>> 
>>> **Sou yo **– That's right
>>> 
>>> **Sou ka? **– Is that so?
>>> 
>>> **Ja **– Then
>>> 
>>> **Iya **– No
>>> 
>>> **Mattaku **– swear word
>>> 
>>> **Sou (ka?) **– True / I see / Is that so?
>>> 
>>> **Oi – **Hey
>>> 
>>> **Nani wo shiteru no? **– What are you doing?
>>> 
>>> **Sakura **– cherry blossom
>>> 
>>> **Aya-san wa kirei na kanojo da, ne? **– Ms. Aya is surely a beautiful girl, don't you think?
>>> 
>>> **Hoshino no koto suki na no? **– Do you like Hoshino (Aya)?
>>> 
>>> **E? **– What?
>>> 
>>> **Mochiron **– Of course
>>> 
>>> **Oniichan **– big brother
>>> 
>>> **Ee **– Yes
>>> 
>>> **Arigatou **– Thank you
>>> 
>>> **Omoshirou sou ja nai wa yo, mou!! **– It's not interesting!!
>>> 
>>> **Nani? **– What (is it)?
>>> 
>>> **Iie **– No
>>> 
>>> **Ii zo** – That's good / Good job
>>> 
>>> **Sasuga **– word used in praising someone
>>> 
>>> **Daijoubu? **– Are you all right?
>>> 
>>> **Yatta! **– All right! (exclamation word)
>>> 
>>> **Nii **– 2nd place (the Gals' original pet name for Yuuya)__


	5. Guilt

> _Minna-san, hontou ni gomen nasai!!! Hauu… Again, I apologize for my very long absence… especially to those who have sent me e-mails telling me to update sooner. I was suffering from a major writer's block for the past few months and… you know the rest!!! Hehe… sorry again, guys!! =w=_
> 
> _By the way, I dedicate this 5th chappie to** all the members of the AyaXRei Love Chronicles Group**, especially to** these 2 peeperz who have the phone nos. 8268849** & **9126652**!! Whehehehe… this chappie is not as colorful as the previous one, a CRAPPY one, I must say but I really worked hard on it! Haha!! I just hope you'll like it… err…_
> 
> **_Disclaimer:_**_ Super Gals! Kotobuki Ran is a certified property of **©2001 MIHONA FUJII·SHUEI-SHA·TV **_**_TOKYO_****_·GALS! PROJECT_**_… there! I've said it, so don't sue me, okay?_
> 
> **Careless Whisper**
> 
> **By: Sechskies**
> 
> **Chapter 05: Guilt**
> 
> As the soft, evening breeze sent her long, black hair and yellow nightdress flapping noisily in the wind, Aya found herself situated once again in the private seaside of the Chiba Beach Resort, sitting on the white sand with her arms placed on her knees. Frowning slightly as strands of her silky hair flew to her beautiful face, her hazel-brown eyes stared into empty space, and the lively sparkle that once belonged to those copper depths turned dead and empty, as if she was a mere lifeless human.
> 
> After the surprising event during the Truth or Dare, Ran eventually decided to conclude the game and call it quits. Come to think of it, everyone was apparently too stunned of what took place to carry on with their activity, and now that almost all of them were already sleeping, Aya, on the other hand, was settled silently in the shore, facing the unimaginable expanse of the seascape before her.
> 
> It had been a good nine hours since then, yet sleep still couldn't manage to come to her. Her body might have been truly exhausted from their earlier gimmicks, but her brain unfortunately disagreed by keeping her eyes wide open.
> 
> Sighing heavily, she then unconsciously placed a lean finger on her lips, her hazel-brown eyes now glittering with a strange emotion. Her face was calm and composed, yet a trace of anxiety could still be recognized. She was about to let her mind wander off once again when a soft voice suddenly called to her, interrupting her imminent reverie.
> 
> "Aya-san?"
> 
> Blinking back, Aya then turned to the caller, her eyes widening as soon as she recognized him. "A-Asuo-kun…"
> 
> "Hey, um… I-is it okay if I sit with you?" he asked, his voice tentative.
> 
> The black-haired lass could simply nod back in reply, and as the young man took a sit a few inches beside her, they spent a brief moment observing the serene flow of the dark waters before Yuuya suddenly started a conversation.
> 
> "What are you doing here, Aya-san?" he questioned her, still feeling rather uneasy about the eerie silence that previously enveloped the two of them.
> 
> Aya eyed him quizzically, and he added, "I-I mean, it's already 5:00 in the morning and…"
> 
> "…Betsu ni," she meekly answered. "I can't sleep so I decided to… uh… How about you, Asuo-kun?"
> 
> "The same reason," he shrugged, a content smile planted on his lips as he returned his gaze once again at the scenery before them. "Suzushii yoru da ne…"
> 
> Aya paused at the sudden change of subject, but soon let out a soft giggle. "So you finally noticed,"
> 
> "E?" Yuuya blinked, turning to her. He raised his eyebrows as he noticed that the black-haired lass was quite shivering in the cold contact of the dawning air, and without a word, he removed the white jacket that he was wearing and gently placed it on her delicate shoulders.
> 
> Startled, she then stared at the blonde lad, bewilderment apparent on her face.
> 
> "Y-you might catch a cold…" he beamed shyly.
> 
> Aya found herself smiling back at his reply. She clutched the white fabric tighter as she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth that the cloth was giving to her. "Arigatou, Asuo-kun…" she timidly whispered.
> 
> "No problem," He grinned wider, the usual cheerful expression plastered on his handsome face. He then shifted his position, laying his legs out as he closed his eyes, the smell of salt wafting across his nose with each breeze that passed him by.
> 
> There was another silence, but this time, it was neither uncomfortable nor eerie. The two youths actually found it quite soothing and relaxing.
> 
> Hearing the blonde sigh heavily after a few minutes, Aya then turned to the young man beside her, her eyebrows creasing in confusion as she noted the thoughtful, yet disturbed emotion gleaming in his gold-yellow eyes. She couldn't help but feel the slightest anxiety at his seemingly blank state, and the play of feelings coming across his expressive face confirmed the lass that something appeared to be wrong.
> 
> "Asuo-kun, daijoubu?" she whispered, subsequently jerking back as her friend made a quick response. She hadn't realized that Yuuya was able to hear the faintness of her voice.
> 
> "Heh?"
> 
> Aya meekly bowed her head, fidgeting with her fingers. "W-well, you seem to be dazed back there and… and I was just wondering…"
> 
> "Nani, Aya-san?" Yuuya asked her.
> 
> The black-haired lass bit her lower lip, her eyebrows furrowing. The apprehensive expression plastered on her face attested that she was already at a loss on what to say next, yet the lad was unable to notice it.
> 
> "Aya-san?"
> 
> "…What are you thinking about?" she suddenly blurted out, saying the first sentence that came to her mind. She didn't know what had gotten into her that caused her to ask such a question, and she mentally slapped herself as she took notice of the blonde youngster's nonplussed look.
> 
> "You," he finally answered.
> 
> "E?" she gasped. "M-me?"
> 
> "You," he repeated, nodding his head as he smiled sheepishly. "I was thinking about you, Aya-san,"
> 
> Aya felt her jaw drop at his reply, absorbing every single word that he told her. Yuuya was thinking of her, and she found it rather strange.
> 
> "_Why would he think of me when we're only inches apart like this? It's not like I'll be away or something…_" she thought, raising an eyebrow in question.
> 
> Perceiving the confused state of the black-haired lass, Yuuya merely let out a soft chuckle, his gold-yellow eyes twinkling amusedly. "I just thought that you'd get angry about what happened,"
> 
> "Dou iu koto?" she asked him. "I-I mean, why would I be mad at you, Asuo-kun?"
> 
> The blonde lad then turned to her, looking slightly puzzled himself. Whatever he meant about what he said, he was certain that the young lady would immediately get its sense, but now it seemed that she was completely oblivious to the whole matter.
> 
> "_I thought she knew,_" he sighed inwardly. "_God, don't tell me she had already forgotten about it…_"
> 
> Bowing his head droopily, Yuuya then replied in a soft and hesitant tone. "…B-because I kissed you,"
> 
> With this, Aya could only stifle a small, inaudible gasp, her hazel-brown eyes widening. She wasn't expecting the blonde young man to give her such an answer, and from the mixed emotion of bewilderment and shock on her face, it evidently caught her off guard.
> 
> "_He kissed me… How could I forget about that…?_"
> 
> An image of what happened during the Truth or Dare game then flashed in her mind, and Aya didn't know what subsequently happened in those next few seconds. She didn't want to recall 'that' specific event as much as possible, but now that Yuuya brought it up, much to her disdain, she felt her cheeks flush hotter as her mind involuntarily wandered off to that certain moment.
> 
> Blinking back, she then opened her mouth to react, yet no words came out. It seemed that a huge lump had already formed itself in her throat; thus, making it difficult for her to utter even a single word.
> 
> "Oh," was the only sound she could produce, and as if on cue, the two youngsters averted their gazes from each other, another awkward moment enshrouding their previous serenity.
> 
> "_Well, that didn't come out too well…_" Yuuya sweat dropped. "_I guess I never should have mentioned it to her… Oh well…_"
> 
> Clasping his hands with his fingers, he then took a deep breath and turned to the black-haired lass. He didn't want to push the topic any further, for he was starting to feel quite embarrassed as well, but since he had already opened it up to her, he had no other option but to carry on. After all, 'that' accident had been bothering him since last night, and unless he patched up things with Aya, he wouldn't be able to sleep the next night yet again.
> 
> Other than that, she appeared to be the most affected one of what occurred, and he was also feeling worried of how she took that unintentional incident. Just the mere thought of Aya, or any of his closest friends, getting mad at him would always scare him, and so he decided to settle matters with her before it got worse.
> 
> "A-Aya-san," he finally called out, his cheeks flushed.
> 
> Aya didn't make any efforts to look back at him, yet the slight jerking of her shoulders signaled the blonde young man to continue.
> 
> "A-about what happened… I… uh…" Yuuya's gold-yellow eyes shifted its gaze to the white surface of the beach. "…I didn't mean for it to go that way a-and… and I… I'm really sorry, Aya-san…"
> 
> He had said all of those words in a very hesitant manner, and as his hand absentmindedly scratched the back of his head, he softly bit his lower lip, slumping lazily on his seat.
> 
> "I don't blame you if you never talk to me again… or if you want to beat me up for what happened…" he sighed. "I just… I just don't want you to get mad at me…"
> 
> By now, Aya's hazel-brown eyes were already fixed on the blonde lad. She found herself smiling slightly at the tension etched on the 2nd placer's usually smiling face, and her features gradually softened as she saw the anxiety glowing in his copper depths.
> 
> Parting her lips, she then spoke in a soft tone, interrupting the young man. "You don't need to apologize, Asuo-kun,"
> 
> "E?" he blinked. "Demo, Aya-san…"
> 
> "I'm not mad at you… and you don't need to blame yourself for what happened back there," Aya told him, smiling weakly. "In fact, I should be the one to make an apology because I got so affected by that event that I made such a big deal out of it, acting childishly and all,"
> 
> "No, you're not,"
> 
> "Yes, I do!" She forced out a laugh. "I just did… right now…"
> 
> "Aya-san…"
> 
> A weak smile planted itself on the girl's lips as she came in complete eye contact with Yuuya. There was another moment of silence before she decided to continue. "I became overly emotional that I made you, not to mention everyone, feel guilty of what occurred. Hontou ni gomen…"
> 
> "Ii no yo, Aya-san," the blonde youngster said, squeezing her shoulder. "It's quite tolerable for you to react that way. After all, you've been accidentally… k-kissed and… uh…"
> 
> He blushed harder as he pronounced the word 'kissed', and noticing this, Aya couldn't help but to let out a soft giggle.
> 
> "Arigatou, Asuo-kun…"
> 
> Turning to the black-haired lass yet again, Yuuya was surprised to see a glimmer of perfect sympathy and gentleness in her hazel-brown eyes. He felt himself melting at the mild stare that she was giving him, as well as the sight of her beautiful, cheery face. For once, he saw that Aya's smile was genuine, and he could only nod his head back in reply, relieved from his earlier trouble.
> 
> "Yoshi," he suddenly remarked, standing up. "Now that this is all settled, want to go somewhere to eat? It's almost morning anyway," He grinned wider as he offered a hand to the still sitting Aya, placing an arm across his chest in a quite gentlemanly fashion.
> 
> "Sure, why not? But it better be your treat, Asuo Yuuya," she tittered yet again, her hazel-brown eyes twinkling amusedly as she took the blonde lad's hand, and he gently pulled her up, just as the first rays of the rising sun began to flicker over the horizon.
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Slowly opening his blue-gray eyes, Rei woke up whilst the rays of sunlight fell onto his face. His blanket slipped off from his upper body when he sat up from his bed, and as he scanned the area through his blurry vision, he put a tired hand on his aching head, wincing in pain.
> 
> "_Great… Just great! A headache for an early morning start,_" he cursed inwardly.
> 
> Sighing heavily, he then leaned his back against the headboard, closing his eyes. Despite the pain that was currently throbbing his head, he kept his composure as calm as possible as he tried to recall last night's events. There were no signs of any of his friends currently, making him more confused, for he couldn't recollect any earlier situation wherein he was settled alone in a room, and all he could remember was when he was stuck playing Truth or Dare with the group and…
> 
> With this, Rei's lips tugged into a slight smile as a certain realization finally dawned on him.
> 
> "Hangover…" he breathed, evoking Ran's challenge to him that time.
> 
> He was to drink two bottles of red wine as his dare, and since he strongly disagree of someone calling him a chicken, he had no choice but to oblige. Remembering how he gulped down the contents of those urns and the redness of his face after his show, he need not have to wonder why he was feeling this nauseous today. After all, he wasn't really used in drinking heavy liquor.
> 
> Falling back to his pillow, Rei opened his blue-gray eyes yet again and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling suspended above him, his hand massaging his temples to somehow lessen the soreness that he was feeling. An air of relief and contentment worked its way on his senses for he was finally able to find the answer to his question, yet he couldn't ignore a tiny feeling of uneasiness that was sparking glumly inside him. It seemed as though that there was something that he was forgetting, and realizing this made Rei almost got up from his lying positing, only to be pushed back by a brace of smooth hands to his bed again.
> 
> "What the---" he grunted, feeling his head throb more painfully at the sudden impact.
> 
> "G-gomen! I didn't mean to push you that hard, Otohata," a feminine voice remarked, her tone somehow panicky.
> 
> Blinking back, the young man then turned to his side, his dull eyes meeting with a pair of large, tawny-brown ones.
> 
> "Y-Yamazaki?"
> 
> "Ohayou!" Miyuu instantly greeted, smiling cheerfully.
> 
> "What are you doing here?" he asked.
> 
> "Nothing much," she merely shrugged. "I just came by to check up on my dear Yamato, that's all,"
> 
> Shifting his position on the bed, Rei watched as the blonde lass softly caressed the face of her boyfriend, her eyes looking affectionately at his still sleeping form. His eyebrow twitched at the warm display before him, but he kept silent. He wasn't in the right condition to deal with it currently.
> 
> "Daijoubu, Otohata?" Miyuu suddenly asked, taking note of her friend's uneasiness. She removed her hand from the sleeping Yamato's face and turned to look at him with a worried expression on her features. "It seems that you're not feeling well today. I can get you a glass of water if you like,"
> 
> "No thanks. I'm fine," he told her, trying to sit up once again.
> 
> "Hontou?"
> 
> "Aa," He bobbed his head in reply, but as he did so, another throbbing pain began to engulf him. He swore mentally as his hand once again found its way to massage his forehead.
> 
> Miyuu, on the other hand, didn't seem convinced by what Rei told her, yet chose not to push the topic any further. From all those times that they went through as friends, she was now aware enough of Rei's arrogant and stubborn attitude. She knew that he disliked being aided and pitied, and any efforts of trying to tend to him would only end up gallingly unsuccessful.
> 
> "Yamazaki," Rei's smooth voice suddenly called to her.
> 
> Snapping out from her stupor, Miyuu promptly responded by tilting her head to look at the young man, and a trace of what seemed like confusion and worry passed through her copper depths as she noticed the disturbed expression plastered on his usually poker face.
> 
> "_What's bothering you, Otohata…?_" she silently asked.
> 
> "I can't remember anything…" he sighed, as if reading her thoughts. He rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. "Everything is such a blur for me at this moment,"
> 
> "Shinpai shi nai yo," Miyuu remarked, trying to lighten the mood with her perkiness. "It's natural for you to forget what happened since you were drunk last night,"
> 
> "What happened anyway?"
> 
> The blonde lass found herself smiling at hearing the childish tone at Rei's voice, and soon spent a brief moment of telling her confused friend everything that had taken place the preceding night.
> 
> "Sou…" Rei merely said after heeding the last of Miyuu's words. Though his face didn't reveal much, as always, he actually felt relieved now that he was finally able to remember most of the earlier events, yet the feeling of uneasiness still hadn't left him. He was sure that there was something that Miyuu missed to tell him, yet the sudden grunt of Yamato instantly made his attempts of asking her about his concern waste away.
> 
> "Ohayou, Yamato!" the blonde girl chirped, smiling sweetly at her boyfriend who had just stirred from his slumber. She helped him sit up from his bed and the brunette creased his eyebrows in confusion as soon as his still groggy eyes met her sunny exterior.
> 
> "M-Miyuu…? What are you doing here?" he asked, scratching his head.
> 
> Miyuu's beam grew wider. "I'm here to check up on you. How are you feeling now, anyway?"
> 
> Heaving out a heavy sigh, Rei didn't bother listening to the couple's conversation as he got up from his bed and made his way to their room's balcony. He knew that it must have been rude for him to walk out from his friends like that, but soon dismissed the thought. The two were deeply engrossed with their talk anyway to even notice him, so he guessed that it wouldn't make the slightest difference if he were to leave the place.
> 
> Opening the sliding glass door, he felt the morning sunshine kiss his young, handsome face as the warm wind sent his black-brown hair flying in unruly thickets. A smooth hand brushed some of the strands away from his blue-gray eyes as he shifted his stare from the sky to the beach beneath, and his eyebrows instantly twitched as his gaze landed on two familiar figures in the seashore walking together towards the resort building.
> 
> "_Yuuya and… Hoshino…?_"
> 
> His grip on the wooden railing unconsciously tightened after recognizing the two youngsters, and the situation didn't keep his forehead from furrowing as he noticed that they were actually trekking hand-in-hand. Yet, his train of thoughts was put to a halt as a certain image suddenly popped in his mind, and he hastily shook his head to shrug the idea off him.
> 
> As far as he knew, Yuuya would NEVER kiss Aya. He was convinced that his friend was still in love with Shibuya's No. 1 Gal to even look on another girl, and he couldn't believe that he overlooked that FACT for a moment. Yes… Asuo Yuuya still loved Kotobuki Ran, and he was quite loyal and devoted to his own feelings as well. He couldn't love anyone else… right?
> 
> "_But why do I feel so uneasy like this…?_"
> 
> Ignoring the throbbing head ache that soon followed his earlier action, Rei dragged his feet away from the terrace and locked himself in the bathroom, surprising the nearby couple at the loud banging of the door. He needed to calm his nerves down or simply get his mind off from thinking too much stupidity, and he hoped that a nice, long bath from the cold and biting water of the shower would just do the trick.
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Aya opened the door to their room and lazily walked around, removing the white jacket that Yuuya gave to her earlier and flinging it to the sofa. She put a tired hand on her creased forehead as she sat on the edge of her bed, subsequently collapsing on the soft mattress after a few minutes.
> 
> Parting her eyelids, her hazel-brown eyes stared blankly at the ceiling of the room yet again, a habit that she had been accustomed in doing whenever she was in such a position. A small smile made its way on her pink lips as she recalled the earlier events, remembering her talk with Yuuya in the shore. She felt somewhat relieved that they were able to patch up things with each other that soon, yet even though they settled to forget all that had happened, her mind seemed to greatly disagree by giving her vivid images of that certain incident.
> 
> "A-Aya?" A small and seemingly hesitant voice suddenly called to her, snapping her out of her thoughts.
> 
> Blinking, Aya then turned to caller, only to realize that it was only her copper-blonde friend. "Ran? What is it?"
> 
> "Um… Well, I just… uh…"
> 
> "Doushita no?" she asked as she sat up from her bed, her copper depths shimmering confusedly as she kept her gaze locked on the red-streaked lass, who was currently lying on her stomach. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow as she finally noticed the tentative and almost timid tone in her friend's voice, and she couldn't help but to let out a nervous smile. "Is there something you want to talk about, Ran?"
> 
> Ran bit her lip as she looked uneasily on the floor. For some reason, she didn't want to have any eye contact with Aya at the moment in fear that she'd figure out her intentions, yet the play of feelings coming gradually across her expressive face was enough for the black-haired lass to know what exactly was going on.
> 
> "I-I was just wondering…" she started, yet the rest of her words were lost when Aya interrupted.
> 
> "That was my first kiss, you know," she merely said, her tone surprisingly nonchalant.
> 
> Sweat dropping, Ran raised her head to look at the blank expression plastered on her friend's face. She was taken aback at how fast the black-hared girl could fathom her aim, yet she was somehow relieved that she need not have to open the topic, since she herself also had trouble doing so.
> 
> "A-are you mad?" she asked softly.
> 
> This time, Aya chose to be silent, and Ran took this as a cue for her to start explaining her side.
> 
> Taking a deep breath, she then mimicked her best friend's current position and began talking. "I-I know what I did was wrong, Aya. I just want to get your mind off Otohata since you've been thinking about him ever since…" she paused, and slowly enveloped Aya's hands with hers. "I'm really sorry, okay? I know this may sound stupid but the only thing that I can think of to momentarily interrupt your insecurities with that guy is to… is to… GIVE YOU SOMETHING ELSE TO WORRY ABOUT!!"
> 
> At this, Aya's hazel-brown eyes widened in surprise. The building urge to get serious with her friend instantly subsided, and if it weren't for her remarkable self-restraint, she would have burst out into fits of laughter by now. Ran's idea was truly ridiculous, and it took her almost her full strength to maintain a straight face in order to not offend her copper-blonde best friend, especially now that she seemed truly emotional about the whole matter.
> 
> "Aya, I'm really very sorry, and I… uh… just… umm… just- JUST KILL ME, OKAY?!" Ran almost screamed the last part out, and the black-haired lass could only stifle a soft gasp as she squeezed her hand tighter.
> 
> Hearing Shibuya's Kotobuki Ran sob for the very first time, Aya was evidently shocked at her new discovery and it took a few minutes before the look of surprise in her features disappear. She didn't know that her best friend was actually capable of being sensitive and open at times, and her hazel-brown eyes gradually softened as she perceived the sincerity in her apology, concurrently feeling a tinge of déjà vu as she recalled her earlier encounter with Yuuya.
> 
> "Oh, Ran, you know that I can never get mad at you; moreover, kill you, ne?" she said, the softness in her voice making the copper-blonde girl stop sniveling. As she found her face being reflected on the copper-blonde lass' coffee-brown eyes, she let out a soft sigh before continuing. "I was just really surprised at what you did back there, but don't worry, okay? I assure you I bear you no ill feelings, especially now that you seem really sorry about it,"
> 
> "H-hontou?"
> 
> "Just don't do it again, okay, Ran?" Aya merely flashed a weary smile, earning a vigorous nod from Ran.
> 
> "Mochiron!" she told her, wiping her tears with the back of her hands. "Aya-ppe's really scary when she's mad. I don't ever want to see her like that again!"
> 
> With this, the two girls broke out into fits of laughter, and it took them a few minutes before sobering up. The uneasy atmosphere that was lingering in the area earlier had already disappeared, and as their hearty giggles echoed throughout the whole room, Ran could have never been much happier. Aya's facial expression clearly showed that of pure glee, and she was thankful at how fast everything turned back to normal again.
> 
> -----o-----
> 
> Hearing the faint sound of girlish laughter from one of the locales behind the hallway, Yuuya found himself smiling softly as he leaned his back against the wall just beside the door to the girls' room. He felt relieved that things worked out between his friends, and remembering his own encounter with Aya earlier made his smile gradually turn into a huge grin.
> 
> There was just something in their talk that made him feel such happiness and satisfaction in him, and though he still couldn't apprehend what it was exactly, he was sure that he was enjoying Aya's company more. She was such an angel; being kind, considerate, forgiving and all, and he was really lucky to have a friend like her.
> 
> Sighing heavily, Yuuya then bowed his head and closed his gold-yellow eyes tiredly. All of his previous contemplations were temporarily discarded as he felt his body weaken, and only then did he realize that he wasn't able to sleep the whole night because of Aya.
> 
> "_As if I can blame her… Stupid Yuuya…_"
> 
> He chuckled idly at that last thought, and after finally deciding that this was the right time for him to get that anticipated slumber of his, he gradually straightened his posture before approaching the boys' room. However, his actions were put to a stop as the door opened by itself, and Yuuya raised an eyebrow in question as his copper depths met Rei's dry, blue-gray ones.
> 
> "I need to talk to you," he said monotonously.
> 
> Noticing the troubled shimmer in his best friend's dark pools, the urge to lie down in bed and sleep soundly instantly disappeared from the blonde young man's mind, and he nodded his head firmly before reluctantly following Rei to God-knows-where.
> 
> "_Rei-san… What's wrong with you…?_"
> 
> Whatever is was that Rei wanted to talk about, Yuuya was pretty much sure that it was truly important. Otherwise, he would have just said it right then and there. The seemingly murderous stare that the black brown-haired lad gave to him was also hard to ignore, and now that Rei lead him to a place where he least expected, his eyebrow twitched as the young man faced him with a sternly pensive expression.
> 
> "Omae…" he called dryly, his dark depths glinting with what seemed like menace.
> 
> Yuuya braised himself for his next words, and he balled his hands into tight fists as he silently prayed to the gods that what his friend was about to say wasn't the notion he had in mind right now. Unfortunately…
> 
> "Did you kiss Hoshino last night?"
> 
> "_Oh, crap…_"
> 
> (tsuzuku)
> 
> June 19, 2004
> 
> _I know I haven't updated in months, and I'm **REALLY **sorry for that!! I'm truly tired of sitting on my bum in front of the monitor trying **AWFULLY** hard to grasp for ideas and other story plots that won't come out until a few months later. This case of writer's block of mine is NO joke, people!! And I'm really afraid to say that until now, I still have it… so… I think I won't be able to update that frequently anymore. Sorry again!! Whehe… err… love me?? XD_
> 
> _But until then, please make an effort to review this piece of crap!! I'm open for all suggestions and comments… and yeah… even flames… though it makes me cry… A __LOT__!! Err… _
> 
> _Many thanks to **cherryblossomsakura2111 **for reviewing all the chappies of my fic so far!! I appreciate your comments a lot, but I don't think I'll be removing the Jappie words in my story. It's just my way of writing, but thanks a lot for suggesting me the **'Nani yaten no?'**-thingy!! I completely forgot about that phrase so I wasn't able to use it… but I must say that **'Nani wo shiteiru no?' **works a lot for females as well!! Thanks again!! :D _
> 
> **Betsu ni** – It's nothing
> 
> **Suzushii yoru da ne** – What a cool night it is
> 
> **E? / Nani? **– What?
> 
> **Arigatou **– Thank you
> 
> **Daijoubu?** – Are you all right?
> 
> **Dou iu koto? **– What do you mean?
> 
> **Demo… **- But…
> 
> **Hontou ni gomen** – I'm really sorry
> 
> **Ii no yo** – It's okay
> 
> **Yoshi** – All right (exclamation word)
> 
> **Ohayou **– Good morning
> 
> **Hontou?** – Really?
> 
> **Aa** – Yes
> 
> **Shinpai shi nai yo** – Don't worry
> 
> **Sou** – I see
> 
> **Mochiron** – Of course
> 
> **Yokatta wa ne **- Good for you
> 
> **Omae** - You


End file.
